Baggio: Riva and I ‘united by love and pain’

Italy legend Roberto Baggio pens a letter to his ‘friend of many battles’ Gigi Riva, to whom he was united by ‘love and pain.’

Baggio was among those paying tribute to the late ‘Rombo di Tuono’ on Tuesday. Gigi Riva, Italy’s all-time top scorer, died on Monday in Cagliari following heart failure.

Riva had a huge influence on Italian football on and off the pitch. He is not only the best-ever scorer in the history of La Nazionale, but he also served as the Azzurri’s team manager from 1990 until 2013 so he was involved in World Cup campaigns in 1994 and 2006.

The first one saw the Azzurri defeated in a Final against Brazil in Pasadena, USA. Riva had also lost a World Cup Final as a footballer against Brazil, in 1970.

Baggio missed the final shootout for Italy in 1994 and was consoled by Riva on the pitch. The picture of the Divin Codino struggling to fight back the tears while keeping his head on Riva’s shoulder has sadly become iconic in Italian football.

“Dear Gigi, friend of many battles and as many wounds,” Baggio wrote in a letter published by ANSA.

“Life has united us in its journey which we lived with love and endless passion for the most beautiful game in the world. You were a unique and precious example of great humanity. To me, you were an amazing example of coherence, attachment to the jersey and genuine courage.

“You loved, like nobody else, the land that had adopted you. You have been able to transform your suffering and your sorrows into positive redemption,” continued Baggio.

“You were a wise and precious travel companion, you have always been yourself in and out of the field. You were unique and unforgettable, and I am sure that a ‘Rombo di Tuono’ will welcome you on a Heavenly journey, where I wish you can find those you loved and lost too early.”