Italy legend Gigi Riva hospitalised after illness

Former striker Luigi Riva, who won the Scudetto with Cagliari in 1970, has been hospitalised after falling ill at home.

La Gazzetta dello Sport details how the 79-year-old was rushed to hospital in Sardinia after falling ill at his home. He is currently being closely monitored by doctors and his condition has started to slowly improve.

Riva underwent a series of medical tests because there’s a possibility that he’ll have to undergo a heart operation in the coming days. For now, he is not in a serious condition at the Brotzu hospital in Cagliari.

A legendary figure in Sardinia, Riva spent the final 15 years of his playing career with Cagliari from 1963 to 1978, scoring 205 goals across 374 games for the club. He was a key figure in their historic Scudetto winning campaign in the 1969-70 season.

Riva was also prolific at international level, scoring 35 goals in 42 caps, representing the country at two World Cups and one European Championship. He is still the Azzurri’s all time top scorer.