Fabio Capello has paid his respects to the late Gigi Riva, who died in hospital in Cagliari on Monday, January 22.
Capello, who stopped to speak with Sky Sport reporters on Tuesday, shared several memories of his time with Riva in the Italy national team.
The former Milan, Juventus and England coach said that he first met Riva when they were both teenagers, and went on to spend sevearl happy years together in the national team set-up.
“I would start from the memory I have of when I was 16 and he was almost 18. We were at Coverciano for a trial, then we found ourselves together in the national team. And every summer I would see him in Grado,” Capello said, reported via TMW.
Capello continued by labelling Riva as “a sincere man, a true marksman, the likes of which we rarely see nowadays, but above all, he was a man who dedicated his life to a region (Sardinia). He wanted to live there and give everything for that area, then he also did it for Italy.
“Gigi Riva was a man who had these special values, values that are too often lost. I played with him, he was unique, he had courage despite all the injuries. But above all he was simple, that was the beautiful thing. His normality”
Riva spent the vast majority of his professional career with Cagliari, leading the Rossoblu to their only ever Serie A title in 1969-70. He is also the all-time leading goalscorer for both Cagliari and the Italy national team.
“In the Italy dressing room there were two characters who didn’t speak much, but when they did their words were heard. They were Gigi and Dino Zoff, two leaders on and off the pitch,” Capello continued.
“Riva had a problem, that he couldn’t sleep until 4 in the morning and that’s why they let him rest until midday. Everyone knew it was like that. Yet on the pitch, he was a fighter. I remember the scene at the end of training in Coverciano, when Bearzot put in crosses for Riva’s shots, we all watched, so impressed as he struck the ball. It was really easy to play with him.”
Capello also shared his thoughts on the unsaoury scenes during the Supercoppa Italiana final between Napoli and Inter, during which members of the crowd booed an impromptu minute’s silence in Riva’s memory.
“I was disappointed, hearing those whistles was a blow. I was in Dubai watching the match, they told me it’s a religious issue and that the dead must not be accompanied by silence. That’s what they told me, I don’t know if it’s true.
“A man like him deserved the applause, for all the love and joy he gave to everyone. With goals but most importantly with his behaviour.”