Gigi Riva was a symbol. For Cagliari, Sardinia. For the entire football planet.” Claudio Onofri talks about Thunderclap with the tone of someone talking about his idol. The former Grifone captain, born 8 years after Riva, never challenged him on the pitch but crossed paths with him several times. «Yes, and then I see him every night, before I sleep».
In what sense?
«I have a photo of him at home, hanging on the wall. I, a boy, hugging him shyly. Torino-Cagliari, I was in the youth team but called up to the first team. Excited, I change half an hour before the match, and go onto the field where Riva arrives, still in civilian clothes. He starts to go to the changing rooms, we surround him and kneel down asking him for a photo and he, happy, stops. Then there is the time of punishments…”.
What had happened?
«Before the matches against Juve, Cagliari trained at the Philadelphia, near us boys from the Granata youth team. We see his teammates training, but Riva is on the sidelines, talking to Scopigno, and we think: “he must be injured”. But when everyone goes out, Riva remains, with the goalkeeper Reginato and I begin to bombard him from outside the area with his impressive left foot, all blows into the top corner. For me he was the champion, with Rivera. Eternal charm.”
Other memories?
«When I was in Cagliari for the commentary, Riva's photo appeared on the scoreboard in the stadium and every time the public reacted with a thrilling 5-10 minute ovation. One evening after a match there, I go to the restaurant: full tables, I see one free and I think “luckily, I'm hungry as hell”. I start to sit down, the owner stops me: “No, not here. And Gigi Riva's place.” Whether he went or not, it was his. Champion on the field, different man off it, simple. The choice to stay in Cagliari testifies to this. If Italy played I didn't support just because they were the Azzurri but because he was there, the only one.”
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