Gianni Rivera

Main article: [[Gianni Rivera]]

Further information: [[List of Italian footballers]]

Early life and club career

Giovanni "Gianni" Rivera, born on August 18, 1943, is an Italian politician and a former footballer. He was known for his skill as an attacking midfielder. People called him Italy's "Golden Boy." Rivera started his career with his hometown club Alessandria in 1959 and joined AC Milan in 1960.

Success with AC Milan

At AC Milan, Rivera won many trophies. He won three Serie A titles and two European Cups. He also served as the team's captain for twelve seasons.

International career

Rivera played for the Italy national team 60 times from 1962 to 1974. He scored 14 goals. He played in four World Cups. He is famous for scoring the winning goal when Italy beat West Germany in the semi-final of the 1970 World Cup. Although Italy lost the final to Brazil, Rivera helped Italy win the European Football Championship in 1968 and finish fourth at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.

Later achievements and career

Rivera was known for his elegant and creative style of play. He won the Ballon d'Or in 1969. After retiring from football in 1979, he went into politics and later became President of the educational youth sector for the Italy national team.

Early life

Gianni Rivera was born in Alessandria, Piedmont, to Edera and Teresio. His father worked on the railway. Gianni started playing football with a local team called ASD Don Bosco. There, he was noticed by Franco Pedroni, a former player for Milan who was helping coach Alessandria. This led Gianni to join the Alessandria team when he was just 13 years old.

Club career

Gianni Rivera, called l'Abatino and the Golden Boy, began playing football with his hometown club Alessandria. He joined their first team in 1958 and played his first Serie A match in 1959 when he was only fifteen years old. In 1960, he moved to AC Milan, where he had a long and successful career.

Rivera helped Milan win many important trophies, including three Serie A titles and two European Cups. He became a key player and leader for the team, wearing the captain’s armband for twelve seasons. Rivera was known for his skill in setting up attacks and his leadership on the field. He played for Milan for nineteen seasons, making over 500 appearances and scoring many goals.

International career

Gianni Rivera played for the Italy national side from 1962 to 1974. He began with the under-21 team in 1960 and scored two goals in his first game. At seventeen, he helped Italy finish fourth at the Rome Olympics, scoring three goals.

Rivera made his debut for the senior team in 1962. He was part of the team for the 1962 World Cup, but Italy didn’t do well. In 1966, Italy lost to North Korea, but Rivera played well. He helped Italy win the European Championship in 1968, though he missed the final because he was injured.

In the 1970 World Cup, Rivera became an important player. He played better in the later rounds. In the semi-final against West Germany, he helped Italy win a famous match. However, in the final against Brazil, he only played the last few minutes, and Brazil won.

Rivera also played in the 1974 World Cup and scored in Italy’s first game. But Italy didn’t advance, and that was his last game for the national team. In total, Rivera played 60 games for Italy and scored 14 goals. He was one of Italy’s top-scoring midfielders and led the team four times.

Retirement

After leaving football, Gianni Rivera became vice-president at AC Milan for seven seasons. When Silvio Berlusconi bought the club in 1986, Rivera left and started a career in politics.

Rivera entered politics in 1986 and became a member of the Italian Parliament in 1987 with the Christian Democracy party. He was elected again in 1992, then in 1994 under the Segni Pact, and later in 1996 under the Uniti nell'Ulivo coalition. He later worked in important government roles and served as a member of the European Parliament.

In 2013, Rivera was chosen by the Italian Football Federation to help train football coaches, based in Florence.

Player profile

Gianni Rivera was known for his clever play and great skills. He could play many positions in midfield or up front, often chosen to sit behind the main striker as a number 10. Even though he wasn't fast or big, he was smart and could control the game with his passes. Coaches loved how he could see the whole field and make smart plays.

People admired Rivera for his smooth control of the ball and his ability to pass perfectly. He focused on helping his team score. He could also score himself and was great at taking free kicks and penalties. Rivera is remembered as one of Italy’s greatest players, respected for his calm, fair play and leadership on the team.

Outside of professional football

AIC

On 3 July 1968, Rivera helped start the Italian Footballers' Association in Milan with other players and a lawyer.

Personal life

Rivera is married to Laura Marconi, and they have two children named Chantal and Gianni. He also has a daughter named Nicole from a different relationship.

Media

Rivera appeared in some EA Sports football video games like FIFA 11, FIFA 14, and FIFA 15. In 2012, he was on the Italian version of Dancing with the Stars called Ballando con le Stelle.

Career statistics

Club

International

International goals

Honours

Gianni Rivera won many important trophies with AC Milan and the Italian national team. With AC Milan, he helped the team win three Serie A titles and two European Cups. He also won several Coppa Italia titles and other European competitions.

Rivera also succeeded with the Italian national team, reaching the final of the 1970 FIFA World Cup. He received many awards, including the Ballon d’Or in 1969. He is remembered as one of AC Milan’s greatest players and was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2013.