Italy, Cagliari legend Riva Dies Aged 79

Legendary Italian striker Luigi “Gigi” Riva, the nation’s all-time leading goalscorer, has died at the age of 79.

Riva, renowned for his thunderous shot which earned him the nickname “Rombo di Tuono”, scored 35 goals in just 42 appearances for Italy. He was a key member of the 1968 European Championship-winning side and the 1970 World Cup team that finished runners-up.

Alongside the iconic Gianni Rivera, Riva came to symbolise Italian football in the 1960s when colour television brought the beautiful game into more homes. He finished second to Rivera in the 1969 Ballon d’Or voting.

Riva spent most of his club career at Cagliari, winning the Scudetto in 1970 and finishing as Serie A’s top scorer. He made over 300 league appearances for the Sardinians, scoring 164 goals. Injuries impacted the latter stages of Riva’s playing days, forcing him to retire in 1976.

However, he maintained close links to the national team setup, serving on coaching staffs including for the 2006 World Cup triumph. At the time of his passing, he was Honorary President of Cagliari, the club where he made his name as one of calcio’s first superstars. He will be remembered as one of Italy’s football greats.