Gigi Riva

Italian association football player (1944–2024)

Luigi Riva (7 November 1944 – 22 January 2024) was an Italian football player. He played for Italy national team.

Gigi Riva
Riva with Italy in 1968
Personal information
Full name Luigi Riva[1]
Date of birth (1944-11-07)7 November 1944
Place of birth Leggiuno, Italy
Date of death 22 January 2024(2024-01-22) (aged 79)
Place of death Cagliari, Italy
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward, Striker
Youth career
1961–1962 Laveno Mombello
1962 Legnano
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1962–1963 Legnano 23 (6)
1963–1976 Cagliari 315 (164)
Total 338 (170)
National team
1965–1974 Italy 42 (35)
Teams managed
1988–2013 Italy (technical director)
Honours
Representing  Italy
Men's football
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up 1970 Mexico
UEFA European Championship
Winner 1968 Italy
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

On 21 January 2024, Riva was hospitalized at the San Michele Hospital in Cagliari, Italy because of acute coronary syndrome.[3][4] He died of a heart attack the next day at the age of 79.[5][6]

Career statistics

change
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[2]
Club Season League Coppa Italia League Cup Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Legnano 1962–63 Serie C 23 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 6
Cagliari 1963–64 Serie B 26 8 2 0 0 0 0 0 28 8
1964–65 Serie A 32 9 4 3 0 0 0 0 36 12
1965–66 Serie A 34 11 3 0 0 0 0 0 37 11
1966–67 Serie A 23 18 3 0 1 1 0 0 27 19
1967–68 Serie A 26 13 1 0 4 3 0 0 31 16
1968–69 Serie A 29 20 6 8 2 0 0 0 37 28
1969–70 Serie A 28 21 6 5 0 0 2 1 36 27
1970–71 Serie A 13 8 5 5 4 2 3 3 25 18
1971–72 Serie A 30 21 4 3 0 0 0 0 34 24
1972–73 Serie A 26 12 6 8 0 0 1 0 33 20
1973–74 Serie A 25 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 26 15
1974–75 Serie A 8 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 9 3
1975–76 Serie A 15 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 6
Total 315 164 42 33 11 6 6 4 374 207
Career total 338 170 42 33 11 6 6 4 397 213

International

change
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Italy 1965 1 0
1966 1 0
1967 4 6
1968 2 2
1969 6 8
1970 10 6
1971 3 2
1972 6 4
1973 7 7
1974 2 0
Total 42 35

Honours

change

Cagliari[7]

Italy[7]

Individual

Orders

References

change
  1. "Riva Sig. Luigi" [Riva Mr. Luigi]. Quirinale (in Italian). Presidenza della Repubblica Italiana. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Riva, Luigi" (in Italian). enciclopediadelcalcio.it. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  3. "È morto Gigi Riva". Il Post (in Italian). 22 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  4. "I medici del Brotzu: «Gigi Riva ha rifiutato l'intervento di angioplastica». Ecco le ultime ore del grande campione del Cagliari". La Nuova Sardegna (in Italian). 22 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  5. "Gigi Riva, è morto il mito del calcio italiano". La Repubblica. 22 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  6. "Gigi Riva è morto, era stato ricoverato dopo un malore in casa" [Gigi Riva has died, he was hospitalized after an illness at home]. Rai News (in Italian). 22 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Riva, the Italian roar of thunder". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  8. Roberto Di Maggio; Igor Kramarsic; Alberto Novello (11 June 2015). "Italy - Serie A Top Scorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  9. Rob Moore; Karel Stokkermans (21 January 2011). "European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or")". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  10. "EURO 1968 team of the tournament". UEFA. 1 April 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  11. "World Soccer 100 Players of the Century". Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  12. "Golden Foot Legends". goldenfoot.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  13. "Hall of fame, 10 new entry: con Vialli e Mancini anche Facchetti e Ronaldo" [Hall of fame, 10 new entries: with Vialli and Mancini also Facchetti and Ronaldo] (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 27 October 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  14. "Inaugurata la Walk of Fame: 100 targhe per celebrare le leggende dello sport italiano" (in Italian). Coni. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  15. "CNA 100 Leggende CONI per data di nascita" (PDF) (in Italian). Coni. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  16. 16.0 16.1 "Speciale: Top 11 - Cagliari" (in Italian). Cagliari Calcio.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  17. "Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana" (in Italian). 6 December 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
  18. "Zoff Sig. Dino – Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana". quirinale.it (in Italian). 12 July 2000. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  19. "Coni: Consegna dei Collari d'Oro e dei Diplomi d'Onore. Premia il Presidente del Consiglio Romano Prodi. Diretta Tv su Rai 2" (in Italian). Coni.it. 16 October 2006. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  20. "Coni, Collare d'Oro assegnato al Torino e a Gigi Riva" (in Italian). Il Corriere dello Sport. 3 November 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016.