Gianni Rivera

Gianni Rivera 1996

Giovanni " Gianni" Rivera ( born August 18, 1943 in Alessandria, Italy ) is an Italian former professional football player, who for AC Milan was for 19 years and active with the club celebrated many successes.

The attacking midfielder is one of the big club idols of the Rossoneri and was voted European Footballer of the Year in 1969. FIFA put Rivera on the list of 125 greatest living footballers (FIFA 100).

After his playing career, he went into politics and was, for example, from 2005 to 2009 Member of the European Parliament.

Youth

Giovanni Rivera was born in 1943 in the northern Italian Alessandria (Piedmont ), the son of a railway worker the light of day. He comes from a humble background, which is why the privations of the postwar years for the family and the small " Gianni" were incredibly hard. Despite all the difficulties he was an avid soccer player and together with his friends he went to the sport on the streets of his hometown after intensive. Rivera was supported by his father, who organized a selection training for the boys of the neighborhood and also representatives from the U.S. Alessandria invited to do so. The assistant coach of the club was inspired by Rivera's capabilities and offered the 13 -year-old ado a place in the junior department.

Club career

The charge was quickly realized that they had committed an exceptional talent with Rivera and left him me exercising in the pros soon. At the age of only 15, he made ​​his debut on June 2, 1959 in Serie A against Inter Milan (1-1), making it the second- youngest player to have ever used in the Italian first division. In his first professional season, he was a regular player (26 games / six goals) and Italy raved about the lanky boy from Piedmont, to the press "Golden Boy" was baptizing. He took with Italy at the Olympic Summer Games in Rome in 1960 and occupied with other players as Tarcisio Burgnich and Giovanni Trapattoni fourth place. Rivera was the most coveted players in the country and Gipo Viani, manager of AC Milan, offered the then astronomical transfer fee of 90 million lire ( about 200,000 U.S. dollars). The U.S. Alessandria could refuse the offer impossible Milan, leaving Rivera, then still officially pull youth player in the summer of 1960 to the Rossoneri.

AC Milan scored at that time the biggest clubs in Serie A and had many top players under contract, which is why Rivera was first used on the right wing. Only after the departure of veteran stars Juan Alberto Schiaffino Rivera moved into central midfield and took over its intended role of playmaker. Without problems he filled the gap and jumped on to the ultimate man of the team, who acted as director and passer for the strikers. The formula for success was simple: After winning the ball or in the build-up play, the ball must immediately to Rivera, who will then initiate the next turn. His first major success was winning the championship ( Scudetto ) in 1962. Followed a year later by winning the European Cup of Champions, the final ascent Milans to an international size. The 2-1 final victory over Benfica in the legendary Wembley Stadium Rivera had prepared both goals from center forward José Altafini. Significantly, occupied the only 19 -year-old in the election to the European Footballer of the year in second place behind Lev Yashin. But now followed an untitled dry spell for Milan, while the big local rivals Inter Milan of success hurried to success (including two victories in the European Champions Cup ). Coach Nereo Rocco had left the club and accepted the post at AC Torino.

It was not until the late 1960s, Rocco was brought back again and built a successful team, national players like Angelo Sormani and Pierino Prati were committed. The coach Rivera appointed as the new captain and made ​​him even more than before, the central figure of the team structure. Rivera himself was approaching the peak of his and led Milan back on track. The prelude they did by winning the Cup ( Coppa Italia ) 1967, the Championship and the European Cup Winners' Cup (2-0 against Hamburger SV) in the following year. The coronation was followed in 1969 with the new victory of the European Champions' Cup ( 4-1 against Ajax Amsterdam ), and even the World Cup (3:0 and 1:2 against Estudiantes de La Plata). Rivera was one inevitably in these years the best players in the world and was elected by France Football European Footballer of the Year in 1969. After two more national cup victories (1972, 1973), the Rossoneri were in 1973 again in the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, where Leeds United was defeated 1-0. A year later, she missed the title defense in the competition after a sensational defeat in the final against the outsiders of the 1st FC Magdeburg.

After seven titles in six years was this defeat final point of the hitherto most successful era of the club's history. Also the criticism of the hitherto sacrosanct Rivera grew. The star players accused the referee publicly Inter Milan and Juventus preferred by their decisions and were therefore in constant dispute with the Association. 1975 was club president Albino Buticchi even sell it. But Rivera did not want to leave Milan and turned the tables on ado: With some wealthy businessmen, he acquired a majority share of the highly indebted clubs and dismissed his adversary ado. Thus, Rivera was for a short time player and president of AC Milan. After the fourth Cup victory in 1977, the Riveras career was drawing to its end. Due to injury, he lacked Although the majority of his last professional season 1978 /79 ( only 13 missions ), but again won the championship. Since it was Milan's tenth Scudetto, they gave the club the first star on the logo. On May 13, 1979 Rivera completed his last game for the AC ( 1-1 against Lazio Rome) and then ended his career.

In his 19 years he had come for AC Milan in 658 competitive games for use and had scored 164 goals (Series A: 501/123, Coppa Italia 74/ 28 European Cup 74/ 13 Other: 9/1). With this brand many years he was a record player in the Rossoneri and is not least among the best players in the history of the club because of these impressive figures.

National players

On 13 May 1962, the 18 -year-old Rivera made ​​his debut for the national team in the 1:3 away win over Belgium in Brussels. Following the Golden Boy was in the squad for the World Cup in Chile, was here but usually substitute and only got to use one. Italy was eliminated in the group stage.

Four years later, at the 1966 World Cup in England, were the Italians the favorites, but certain Italian club teams the European cup competitions. The hopes of the Tifosi it relied inter alia on the two playmaker Gianni Rivera and Sandro Mazzola. But the team disappointed down the line and after a sensational 0-1 defeat against North Korea, the Italians had already heading home after the group stage. On their return to Rome, the players of angry fans were pelted with rotten tomatoes. 1968, the Squadra Azzura rehabilitated by winning the European Championship on home soil for the shame of England. Rivera was missing (2-0 against Yugoslavia ) due to an injury in the final.

Rivera's career in the national team was dominated by the duel for the role of playmaker. Sandro Mazzola of Inter Milan Italian national coaches of the 1960s and 1970s there was a nearly equal players. This rivalry that split the football fans, culminating in the World Cup tournament in Mexico in 1970. Coach Ferruccio Valcareggi tried to solve the problem with a compromise: he was of the opinion that neither Rivera nor Mazzola would hold 90 minutes in the scorching heat of Mexico. That's why he put Mazzola on in the first half, and then traded it in the break by Rivera (so-called Stafetta ). In the semifinal against Germany that saw its probably the greatest moment in the national team when he was in the extension of this century, the game scored the decisive goal to 4:3 and advanced to power Winner. Nevertheless Valcareggi deviated in the final against Brazil (1:4) of its interplay and brought Rivera in the 84th minute only because he held Mazzola for defensive stronger. For this, the trainer in the Italian press was severely criticized.

His last World Cup denied Rivera in 1974 in Germany. The highly traded Italians disappointed expectations once again and left again into the first round. Thus, Rivera was knocked out in four appearances at the World Cup finals three times already after the first round. In the second game ( 1-1 against Argentina) Rivera was replaced in the 66th minute and sat against Poland even completely on the bench. After the tournament, Rivera announced his retirement from international football in order to devote itself to its task with AC Milan can.

Play

Rivera was a small, slender, almost scrawny players. His physical inferiority he resembled by its extraordinary technology and unique ball feel, elegance and good overview shaped his game. One of the strengths of the classic playmaker was one of the deadly pass at the top, but Rivera also sought even the way to the gate (1973 scorer in Serie A with 17 goals ).

Defensive work and hard tackles were hated him. Rivera's critics thought him repeatedly before he was running lazy and could not fight. Teams that had a Rivera in their ranks, had to have appropriate water-carrier, who took over the dirty work on the defensive. In Milan this task Roberto Rosato came to.

Titles & Awards

Association

• Italian Master ( 3): 1961 /62 1967/68, 1978/79
• Italian Cup Winners ( 4): 1966 /67 1971/72 1972 /73 1976/77
• European Cup Winners ' Cup ( 2): 1962 /63 1968/69
• European Cup Winners Cup Winners (2): 1967/68, 1972/73
• World Cup winner: 1969

National

• European Championship: 1968
• Vice World Champion: 1970

Personally

• European Footballer of the Year: Second 1963, winner 1969
• Scorer of the Serie A: 1972 /73 ( 17 goals)
• Scorer in the Italian Cup: 1967 ( 7 goals ), 1971 (7 goals)
• FIFA 100

Functionaries and politicians

Following his playing career Rivera moved into management of AC Milan and took over the post of Vice - President. But the club were massive entanglements detected in a betting scandal and the Association sentenced him in 1980 to relegation to the B. series In 1986, the media mogul and multi-millionaire Silvio Berlusconi acquired the majority shareholding in the club, he restructured the club's management and Rivera had to go.

Rivera returned to the football final the back and went into politics. First, as a party member of the Christian Democrats (DC), following its dissolution in the electoral coalition The Olive active, he was from 1996 to 2001 in the government of Romano Prodi Undersecretary of Defense. On 25 May 2005 Rivera went as substitutes for Mercedes Bresso one to the European Parliament, where he remained until 13 July 2009 ( most recently as non-attached Members ). In 2011 he assisted the top candidate of the " Unione Italiana - Librandi " Letizia Moratti in its proposed re-election for mayor of Milan, but was not even elected to the city council.