Happy birthday, Gigi!

The board of directors didn’t want to hear about it. Thirty-seven and a half million for a nineteen-year-old from Serie C? Too much. However, the general manager Andrea Arrica was adamant: he believed in the qualities of that young man and was willing to bet on him with closed eyes. He trusted his instincts and the judgment of his scouts. And history proved him right. That young boy, Riva from Leggiuno, in the province of Varese, soon became Gigi Riva, the greatest Italian striker of all time. A legend, plain and simple. On and off the field.

He was hesitant about moving to an unknown island: he turned into a leader of the people, a symbol of that land. He found a new family in all the Sardinians who welcomed him with open arms as one of their own from the first day. He never betrayed them. He was an incorruptible leader, deaf to all the lucrative proposals from the big Northern clubs. A warrior’s striker, he put his head where others were afraid to put their foot. With the other red and blue corsairs, he brought a historic Serie A title to the island.

Rombo di Tuono (Thunder’s Roar), as Gianni Brera dubbed him, evoking the power of a left foot shot like a thunderbolt. He remains Italy’s all-time leading scorer: 35 goals in 42 matches, an exceptional average. A hero beyond the boundaries of time, the passing years only strengthen the legend: today we celebrate his 79th birthday.

A cent’annus, Gigi!