Rome – Gigi Riva, 79 years old, a legend of Italian football, has died.
A sudden illness at home, a small heart attack, then the rush to the hospital with her children. The national team's top scorer and number 11 in Cagliari's historic 1970 championship, admitted to the Brotzu hospital in Cagliari since yesterday, passed away this evening. Riva, now honorary president of Cagliari, he turned 79 last November 7th.
Gigi Riva in 1974 with the Cagliari shirt
Always a reserved and shy character, he lived in an apartment in the center of Cagliari and in recent years he had also limited his usual walks in the streets of the centre. And yesterday too Gigi Riva was at home when he fell ill. The doctors of the Brotzu Cardiology department, after a series of tests, had decided on heart surgery. “Nothing particularly complicated.” “The patient is calm and his general conditions are stable”, stated the first medical bulletin from the management of Arnas Brotzu. “Riva is currently under surveillance by healthcare personnel and cared for by family members. In the next few days he will continue with the clinical investigations of the case.”
The news of the death of Thunderclap it immediately toured Italy. Riva is considered the strongest Italian striker of the post-war period. He is still the holder of the record for goals scored for the national team: 35 in 42 appearances, an incredible average of 0.83 goals per game.
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