Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola admits Gigi Riva didn’t like the daily routine of the Blues and other Premier League sides when Magic Box was playing in England: ‘I realised he was right.’
Riva, Italy’s all-time top scorer and one of the most iconic players in the history of La Nazionale, died on Monday at the age of 79 and has been honoured by many current and former football players in the Peninsula.
Riva was born in Leggiuno, province of Varese, in 1944 but moved to Cagliari in 1963, spending the rest of his career and life in Sardinia. He also contributed to Cagliari’s first and only Serie A title in 1969-1970.
Riva’s influence on the island was immense. For example, Zola, born in Sardinia in 1966, said his father had never been interested in football until his 30s when he saw Riva play football for the first time.
“From that day he became a football maniac,” said Magic Box.
“He would bring me to watch training sessions, gifted me footballs and he even became the president of a local team. I’ve become a footballer thanks to Gigi.”
Zola and Riva shared a love for Sardinia and would often meet on the island.
“To me, he was like God at the centre of the universe. The man who represented an entire population. He was natural, he wasn’t born in Sardinia, but he chose this land,” Zola continued.
“He was honest and straightforward and had no problems expressing his opinion. I remember that we once spoke about my time in England. He told me to do something, but I didn’t listen to him. After a while, I realised he was right and I told him.
“It was my second year in England and we were talking about the daily routine before Chelsea matches,” Zola explained.
“One training session per day in the morning and in the afternoon we would socialise, play golf and things like that. The approach was not as intense as it was in Italy. I liked it. I was enthusiastic. That world seemed perfect to me.
“However, Riva told me that he disagreed with that management. He said: ‘I like England and English football is fascinating, but I’ve always seen game preparation as a key moment. If you do it well, it protects you for the entire season and makes you feel well.’ On the contrary, I thought I would benefit from more free time and less stress. But, can you believe it? I had so many injuries that season, so many highs and lows. One day, I thought about his words and realised he was right.”
Zola spent seven seasons at Chelsea, scoring 80 goals in 312 appearances. He moved to Cagliari in 2003, ending his career with the Rossoblu, scoring 27 times in 81 matches.