At the Sant'Elia Stadium to watch the football “Serie A”
The Cagliari team plays in the Italian football Premier League (called Serie A). The Sant'Elia stadium was inaugurated in 1970, year in which the Cagliari football club won the sole championship up to now (in that period its strong point was the great Gigi Riva, forward of the Italian National Football team). It is then possible to watch the matches of one of the most popular tournament in Europe: a further reason to visit the capital of Sardinia. This facility is among those which took up the Italy '90 World Cup matches (among which England vs Holland).
The Cagliari football club was founded in 1920. After many Championship in the Second and Third, the turning point came in 1963 with the engagement (for a song) of a young forward, who played in the Legnano team: Gigi Riva. Thanks to his goals, in 1964 arrived the first promotion to the premier league for the Cagliari team. Riva, born in Leggiuno (Varese) in 1944 was one of the team strong points, that in the 69/70 season won the championship despite the remarkable technical calibre and the superior economical power of the clubs from Milan and Turin. It was a victory celebrated by the whole Sardinia and by many fans from all over Italy and all over the world.
Six players of that team (Albertosi, Cera, Niccolai, Domenghini, Gori and, without doubts, Riva) were called up by the Italian National Team to take part to the Mexico '70 World Cup, ranked after the Brazil of Pelè. Riva is still the record-holder of goals scored with the national team shirt: 35 scored goals out of 42 played matches. With the team shirt of Cagliari instead, he scored 207 goals out of 373 played matches (156 nets out of 289 in the premier league played matches) earning the top scorer title (in the ‘66/'67 , '68/'69 and '69/'70 seasons) with 18, 20 and 21 goals respectively. With the Italian National Team he won the title at the European Cup in 1968 and a second place at the World Cup in 1970.
On the 9 of February 2005, on the occasion of the friendly match Italy vs Russia played at the Sant'Elia stadium, the Football League officially authorized the withdrawal of the number 11 shirt: the Cagliari club has wanted to render homage to a great champion like Gigi Riva.
Besides Riva, other technically great players have worn the Cagliari Shirt. Among all, we mention two international level champions the Sardinian Gianfranco Zola, who played in England as well with the team shirt of the estimated Chelsea and the Uruguayan Enzo Francescoli. Great men before being two great sport champions.
