Buffon breaks down in tears at Riva’s funeral

Thousands of football fans and ordinary people attended Gigi Riva’s funeral in Cagliari on Wednesday, including an emotional Gianluigi Buffon and other 2006 Italy World Cup winners.

Riva’s funeral is being held in Cagliari on Wednesday. The late ‘Rombo di Tuono’ Italy’s all-time top goal scorer died on Monday aged 79.

Thousands of fans, Cagliari ultras and ordinary people turned up at the Basilica di Bonaria in Cagliari to honour the legendary striker who had contributed during his playing career to the Rossoblu’s only Serie A title in 1969-70.

In the following years, he built an even stronger bond with Sardinia by rejecting offers from top Italian clubs such as Inter, Milan and Juventus.

Riva had also served as Italy’s team manager – or delegation chief – after the end of his playing career, covering the role from 1990 until 2013. Gigi Buffon now has the same duty and according to Gazzetta, the former goalkeeper could not hold back the tears during Riva’s funeral on Wednesday.

Buffon was joined by Cagliari players and Claudio Ranieri, the highest personalities in Italian football, including FIGC President Gabriele Gravina, coach Luciano Spalletti and other 2006 World Cup winners such as Gennaro Gattuso, Marco Amelia and Simone Perrotta.