Nicola Riva, the son of the late Gigi Riva, has thanked Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella for the tribute he paid to his father on Instagram earlier this week, clearing up any queries over the relationship between Barella and the Riva family.
Like so many over the course of the last week, Barella, who is from Cagliari originally, posted a brief message online, paying his respects to Italy and Cagliari’s all-time leading goalscorer.
“Ciao Gigi, Immense thanks! You were always and will always be our idol,” Barella’s original post on his Instagram story read.
However, some questioned the legitimacy of Barella’s tribute when he did not attend the funeral service in his hometown on Wednesday.
In response to the grief that Barella has received in recent days, Nicola Riva has put out a post thanking Barella for his message, explaining that he has been close to the Riva family ‘from the beginning.’
“Thank you Nicolo Barella, you have been with us from the very beginning and you have shown a greater sensitivity than many could understand without knowing and seeing (the full situation).
“The Riva family thanks and appreciates you so much,” Nicola Riva wrote.