by Adam Bate

In 1999 the No.6 shirt of AC Milan’s Franco Baresi was retired. That same
year, he was named Milan’s best player of the twentieth century. More recently,
he was officially named as Italy’s player of the century too. These are
extraordinary accolades to be given to a defender. But then, Baresi was no
ordinary defender.

At a fraction over 5’9” tall and slender of build, Baresi wasn’t your typical defensive
colossus. But he used every inch of his wiry frame to compete physically;
excelling thanks to those rarer defensive qualities of skill and grace. Perhaps
Baresi’s most notable attribute, however, was his incomparable positional
sense. He was able to use his footballing intelligence to snuff out threats
before they occurred and provide the base for the next attack. Contrary to
appearances, Franco Baresi was a defensive giant after all.

The route to becoming a Milan legend was not a straightforward one for the
young Franco. Indeed, the first opportunity for the boy from Brescia may well
have come with Milan’s great rivals Inter. Incredibly, Baresi was rejected and
denied the chance to follow in the footsteps of his elder brother Giuseppe with
the Nerazzurri. No matter. Franco tried his luck with the Rossoneri instead and
never looked back.

Baresi’s career really took off when he established himself as a first-team
regular in the 1978-79 season. It says a lot for his quality that he was able
to break into the Milan side at the age of just 18. That his first full season
also coincided with the club becoming champions of Italy for the first time in
over a decade says much more. It was also fitting that retiring legend Gianni
Rivera was able to bow out as a champion – and do so playing alongside the man
who would go on to take his Milan appearance record.

Although the post-Rivera era was a period of relative obscurity for Milan,
it saw Baresi’s career go from strength to strength. Enzo Bearzot, the Italian
manager, recognised the young defender’s talent despite Milan’s relegation in
1980 and called him up for that summer’s European Championships on home soil.
Baresi did not feature in the tournament, serving instead as understudy to the
Juventus sweeper Gaetano Scirea.

It turned out to be a lengthy apprenticeship with the Azzurri because Baresi
was given a similar watching brief for the 1982 World Cup. It was, of course, a
successful one for Italy as they ousted the holders Argentina, champions-elect
Brazil and eventually West Germany in the final. While Paolo Rossi earned the
plaudits, Baresi cheered him on from the sidelines. Incongruously, he was yet
to win his first cap but was now part of a World Cup winning squad.

If that experience was a positive one for Baresi, the years that followed
were ones of frustration. The man known as Piscinin – the Little One – was gaining
a burgeoning reputation as a skilful sweeper with an exceptional talent. But
Milan’s second relegation in three years meant the 1982-83 season was spent in
Serie B as the club remained in desperate need of investment. Meanwhile,
Bearzot’s refusal to introduce new players gave Baresi limited opportunities
with the national team. His strained relationship with the coach even saw him
miss the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

Despite being champions, Italy struggled that summer. It was perhaps a
blessing for Baresi as the subsequent resignation of Bearzot, coupled with the
retirement of Scirea, brought new opportunities for him. But the main reason
why 1986 was a turning point in his career was the change in ownership at Milan
– and the arrival of one Silvio Berlusconi.

That Berlusconi transformed Milan is a matter of fact. And yet, he was able
to do so thanks largely to the raw materials already in place at the time. As
well as Baresi, there was the reliable right-back Mauro Tassotti and a young
left-back by the name of Paolo Maldini. When Alessandro Costacurta broke
through the ranks soon after, one of the most famous defensive units in the
history of the game was in place.

Berlusconi did play a key role in bringing players such as Marco Van Basten
and Ruud Gullit to Milan. But his most visionary piece of business was in
identifying the young Parma coach, Arrigo Sacchi, as the man to take Milan
forward. Sacchi’s was a unique take on the Dutch Total Football model – with an
emphasis on intense pressing and the importance of controlling space. He had a fascinating way of demonstrating this to his superstar players:

“I convinced Gullit and Van Basten by telling them that five organised
players would beat ten disorganised ones. And I proved it to them. I took five
players: Giovanni Galli in goal, Tassotti, Maldini, Costacurta and Baresi. They
had ten players: Gullit, Van Basten, Rijkaard, Virdis, Evani, Ancelotti,
Colombo, Donadoni, Lantignotti and Mannari. They had 15 minutes to score
against my five players. I did this all the time and they never scored. Not
once.”

Sacchi may well have seen himself as the scriptwriter and the players as
mere actors but central to this success was Baresi – his leading man. The
captain of the side, he marshalled the defence using his supreme reading of the
game, and led Milan throughout a period of unprecedented success. The 1987-88
Scudetto was Baresi’s second and a defensive triumph – Milan conceded a miserly
14 goals as they lost just two games all season. Crucially, the title opened
the door for the Rossoneri to take their domination onto the European
stage.

The 1989 European Cup victory marked Milan’s ascent to the next level, but
it was not without luck. Down to ten men and losing away to an exceptional Red
Star Belgrade side, the fog descended and play was abandoned. The match went
ahead again the following day and Milan triumphed on penalties with Baresi
converting from the spot. It was a controversial escape but one Milan made
count as they memorably destroyed Real Madrid 5-0 in the San Siro before
annihilating Steaua Bucharest 4-0 in the final. It was an explosive climax that
saw Baresi lift the European Cup in the Camp Nou.

Twelve months later, Milan sealed their legacy as they became the first team
in ten years to retain the European Cup. No team has repeated the feat since.
There were fewer fireworks this time around. The key was that Milan conceded
just three goals in their successful defence of the trophy – with Baresi
imperious throughout.

Of course, while Baresi’s Milan career was largely one of glory, his efforts
for the Azzurri will always be tinged with sadness. He was 30 before he even
got the chance to play in a World Cup. It was on home soil in 1990 and so
nearly saw Baresi complete the perfect season. Things began brilliantly as
Italy hit seven goals without reply in their first five games. Unfortunately,
despite being the better side, they could not edge past Argentina in the semi-final
in Naples. Penalties ensued and, while Baresi demonstrated his leadership skills
by putting away the opening penalty, teammates Roberto Donadoni and Aldo Serena
could not replicate his efforts and the dream died.

Four years later it would be the turn of Baresi himself to feel penalty
heartbreak. By that point, Sacchi had left Milan to take the national job but
the trophies had continued to roll in. Baresi helped the Rossoneri to three
consecutive Scudetti. The last of which, under Fabio Capello in 1994, was
another reminder that great sides are built from the back. Milan scored a bewilderingly
unimpressive 34 goals in topping the league, but thanks to their defensive
capabilities they conceded just 15 at the other end. Sadly for Baresi, he
missed out on the sensational European Cup final win over Barcelona – but there
was an even bigger game ahead that summer.

It is always a shame that a World Cup Final be remembered for penalty
shoot-out misses. For a player of Franco Baresi’s calibre to have to remember
the biggest game of his career in such a way is tragic. But for him to have to
remember this game in such a way is just plain wrong. Baresi had heroically returned from a knee cartilage problem in the group stages and promptly delivered a colossal defensive performance. Brazilian forward Romario, the player of the tournament, was emphatic in his comments after the game, saying: “His performance today was the most ruthless monitoring of my entire career.” Sadly, Franco Baresi walked away from the
Pasadena Rose Bowl that day with only a runners-up medal.

There was still time for the old master to play an active role in another
Serie A triumph in 1996 but the curtain finally came down on an astonishing
career the following year. It would be an understatement to say his legacy was
already guaranteed. The countless memories of Baresi with his shirt untucked,
socks round his ankles, gliding round the San Siro had long since ensured that.
After all, he is Italy’s player of the twentieth century. He is Milan’s eternal
number six. He is Franco Baresi.

*A version of this article appeared in the now sadly defunct Calcio Italia magazine in March 2011 

DEFINING MOMENTS

In a stellar career there are so many big matches to choose from. Here are
just five famous encounters that define the career of Franco Baresi …

19 April 1989
Milan Topple Madrid
AC Milan 5-0 Real Madrid – European Cup Semi-Final – San Siro, Milan

Although Real Madrid had not lifted the trophy in over twenty years, they were
still perceived as European footballing royalty. So when they were ruthlessly
dismantled in the San Siro it was perceived as underlining the power shift:
Baresi’s Milan were now top dogs.

24 May 1989
Champion of Europe
AC Milan 4-0 Steaua Bucharest – European Cup Final – Camp Nou, Barcelona

The scoreline says it all. Only twice before had a side won the European Cup
by a four goal margin. Steaua had good pedigree, having won the title three
years earlier. But they were no match for Milan. Gullit and Van Basten scored
two each – and Baresi ensured a clean sheet.

23 May 1990
Retaining The Crown
AC Milan 1-0 Benfica – European Cup Final – Praterstadion, Vienna

To this day, Franco Baresi is the last man to captain his team to back-to-back
European Cup wins. The skipper had a brilliant season culminating in this
efficient display in Vienna. No surprise Sacchi’s machine was working like
clockwork – only Donadoni was missing from the previous year’s starting line-up.

3 July 1990
Heartbreak in Naples
Italy 1-1 Argentina – World Cup Semi-Final – Stadio San Paolo, Naples

The day the dream died for the host nation is not one Baresi would like to
dwell on. However, there was little wrong with the Italian defending that evening
in Naples, or indeed in that World Cup. In fact, Caniggia’s second half goal
was the first the Azzurri had conceded in the entire tournament. Baresi
hammered home the opening goal in the shoot-out but, when Aldo Serena’s effort
was saved, Italy’s hopes were dashed.

17 July 1994
Master Class in Vain
Italy 0-0 Brazil –World Cup Final – Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California

The match is sometimes remembered as a bore draw. It was the game that
failed to seduce America. It also happened to include a Franco Baresi defensive
master class as he snuffed out the threat of Romario for two long hours in the
California sun. Of course, it ended – quite literally – in tears, as the
captain blasted his tired penalty over the bar.

by Adam Bate

There are many over-used and misleading phrases in football and “one-man team” is surely right up there. In 1969-70, Cagliari had a quality side. Players such as Ricky Albertosi, Pierluigi Cera, Comunardo Niccolai and Angelo Domenghini all played for the Azzurri. And yet, the simple and remarkable fact remains – Gigi Riva won the Scudetto for Cagliari. It was just one of the many stunning achievements in the extraordinary career of Cagliari and Italy’s highest ever goalscorer. A legend and a hero for both club and country.

Luigi Riva was born in Leggiuno, near Varese in northern Italy, in November 1944. His footballing talent became apparent as he broke into the first team at lowly Serie C outfit Legnano as a mere 17-year old. Within a year he moved south to Sardinia – the island that was to become his spiritual home – when he signed for Cagliari. Even at such a young age, Riva’s impact on the club was virtually instantaneous. And so the fairytale began.

Cagliari were in Serie B when Riva arrived and the club had never played in the top flight of Italian football. The Sardinians had long dreamt of boasting a Serie A side and in Riva’s debut season that dream was realised.  Cagliari were promoted in second place behind Varese with Riva contributing eight goals from an outside left position.  Given their lack of pedigree at the highest level, one may have expected the club to struggle among the elite. The reality was very different as only five teams gathered more points than Cagliari in that historic 1964-65 campaign. It was a personal triumph for Riva as he gained international recognition in the summer of ’65.

Riva’s debut against Hungary that year began a nine year record-breaking career with the Azzurri. Initially, there was disappointment – a broken leg sustained against Portugal caused Riva to miss the 1966 World Cup in England. But two years later at the European Championships on home soil, the strapping forward was to make amends. 

By 1968, Riva was firmly established as the premier goal machine in Italian football. He had earned the title of Capocannoniere the previous year by scoring 18 goals in just 23 games and continued to bang in the goals for club and country. Indeed, his hat-trick against Cyprus followed by a brace in Switzerland had helped Italy top their qualifying group. In the finals themselves, it took a coin toss to edge past the Soviet Union in a goalless semi-final before Riva’s Cagliari team-mate Domenghini grabbed a late equaliser in the drawn final against Yugoslavia. Here Riva came to the party, scoring the opening goal of the replayed final to help win the trophy for Italy. Cagliari’s hero was now a national hero.

No shrinking violet, Riva embraced his new status and the confidence he gained helped him to become an even better player. Despite the celebrity attention, he always remembered the key virtues needed to succeed: “I am not an actor, writer, salesman, singer or anything else. I live only for football.” It was perhaps this stubborn and single-minded dedication that saw Riva frustrate Juventus in their attempts to sign him. In 1967, the deal was done between the Bianconeri and Cagliari to take Riva to Turin. But Riva was adamant:

“I would have earned triple. But Sardinia had made me a man. It was my land. In those days, they called us shepherds and bandits around Italy. I was 23 and the great Juve wanted to cover me in money. I wanted the Scudetto for my land. We did it, the bandits and shepherds.”

With this attitude, Riva kicked on with Cagliari and he became Capocannoniere for the second time in 1969. He was now a truly formidable striker.

It is no wonder the Bianconeri were desperate to sign Riva. His playing style set him apart from his contemporaries. His strength and aerial ability were outstanding. The key to his success, however, was the power and technical ability of that famous left boot. There are stories of spectators being injured by his shots – such was the ferocity of his strikes. Fortunately, he didn’t miss the goal too often.

His most famous skill, of course, was his renowned ability to volley the ball. Often this would include the rovesciata – overhead kicks hit with such devastating power as to be unstoppable. Cagliari fans got to see these efforts on a regular basis but the most famous was a goal still replayed to this day. Against Vicenza in 1970, a cross from the left was headed back across goal. The ball came over Riva’s left shoulder. He swivelled to fire the ball into the net before the keeper could even move. An iconic moment from an iconic player.

The 1969-70 season was the stuff of magic for Cagliari – and most of it came courtesy of Riva. In addition to the Vicenza goal, there were the two against Napoli after battling a fever, another brace to earn a point against Juventus, and more goals against Milan, Lazio and Sampdoria. It was a miracle season in which Cagliari lost just two matches. On 12th April 1970 Riva scored the opener as the title was clinched at home to Bari with two games to spare. The Scudetto belonged to Cagliari. To many it felt as though Riva and the team had managed to unify the notoriously disparate farming communities of Sardinia through the joy of football. As the writer Stefano Boldrini put it: “Riva forced shepherds to buy transistor radios so that they could follow Cagliari”.

The historic victory led to parties and celebrations that are still romanticised to this day. The players remain heroes and the side is the first and last team from Italy’s islands to win the championship. The summer of 1970 was certainly a triumphant one for Cagliari. But Gigi Riva’s work was not done yet – he had the small matter of a World Cup ahead of him.

The 1970 World Cup will forever be remembered for the wonderful Brazil side that so entranced viewers around the world. What few recall is that the final against Italy was finely balanced at 1-1 after an hour, only for the Azzurri to fade as they felt the effects of an epic semi-final encounter just four days earlier. Riva scored the pick of the goals that day in a memorable 4-3 victory over West Germany – a beautiful couple of touches before firing the ball into the far corner. It was Riva’s third of the tournament but he fell just short in his quest to add the World Cup to his Serie A and European crowns.

In the October of 1970, Riva experienced the highs and lows of football in dramatic fashion. In the fourth game of the season the champions travelled to the San Siro to take on rivals Inter. The famous Italian journalist Gianni Brera summed events up that day by saying: “Cagliari have humiliated Inter at the San Siro. More than 70,000 saw that Riva deserved it and I nickname him Rombo di Tuono.” And so, after grabbing two goals in a 3-1 win at the San Siro, the Roar of Thunder aka Thunderclap was born. His position as a national treasure was secure but, tragically, Riva broke his leg playing for Italy against Austria later that week, putting paid to Cagliari’s title defence.

Remarkably, Riva showed his tremendous battling qualities by bouncing back from this second leg break of his career to score 21 goals in 30 games in the 1971-72 season. He even managed to play in another World Cup – the disappointing 1974 campaign. It was to mark the end of his international career. Riva finished with 35 goals from 42 games for Italy – an incredible strike rate that means he is still the country’s record goalscorer.

Both Riva and Cagliari remained a force in the upper echelons of Serie A for some time to come. But as the great player’s body began to give out and his powers started to wane, so the fortunes of Cagliari dipped with him. Their fortunes seemingly inextricably linked, Cagliari were relegated in last place in 1976 with Riva out injured for much of it. This was to prove one injury too many and after a lengthy but unsuccessful attempt to regain fitness, Riva retired from football. He left his beloved club where he had found them – in Serie B. Cagliari have not finished in the top five of Serie A since.

Gigi Riva continues to endure as a Sardinian idol and the darling of Cagliari Calcio. After scoring more than 200 goals for the club, his No.11 shirt has predictably been retired – the only number ever retired by the Rossoblu. The playwright and journalist Vito Biolchini probably said it best: “Riva is eternal for Sardinia, he is a mythical . . . almost a religious figure.” Amen to that.

A version of this piece originally appeared in the now sadly defunct Calcio Italia magazine in February 2011.

DEFINING MOMENTS

Riva was the inspiration behind his club’s success and a goalscoring phenomenon for his country. Here is our pick of his greatest games…

10 June 1968
Champions of Europe
Italy 2-0 Yugoslavia – European Championship final – Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Riva was part of the Italian team that won the European Championship on home soil. Riva opened the scoring in the replay of the final – Italy’s first major prize since the 1930s.

18 January 1970
That Man Riva
Vicenza 1-2 Cagliari – Serie A – Stadio Romeo Menti

Riva bagged two goals in this away victory but the second of them has become the stuff of legend. As the ball came over his left shoulder, the master of the overhead kick fired home a bullet of a strike to capture the imagination of a generation.

12 April 1970
Cagliari Champions
Cagliari 2-0 Bari – Serie A – Stadio Sant’Elia

Cagliari won their one and only Scudetto with two games to spare – and naturally Riva was on the scoresheet, sending Sardinia into delirium.

17 June 1970
World Cup Classic
Italy 4-3 W.Germany – World Cup semi-final – Azteca Stadium, Mexico City

This legendary encounter see-sawed back and forth with Riva scoring in the second half of extra-time to help Italy into the World Cup final. Only the genius of Brazil was to stop Riva becoming Serie A, European and World champion simultaneously.

25 October 1970
Rombo Di Tuono
Inter 1-3 Cagliari –Serie A – Giuseppe Meazza

Inter were the main challengers for Cagliari’s title but Riva stunned the San Siro with two early goals. Famed writer Gianni Brera claimed Riva had ‘humiliated’ Inter and nicknamed the forward the ‘Rombo di Tuono’. Sadly, Riva broke his leg playing for Italy less than a week later.

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Some great goals here. The famous one against Vicenza is from 1:02.

November 3, 1945 – Gerd Muller was born.

Of all the football careers you could dream of having as a kid, they don’t come much more complete than Gerd Muller’s.

He won the World Cup and European Championships with Germany – scoring in the final of both tournaments - as well as lifting the European Cup on three consecutive occasions with Bayern Munich.

And despite retiring from international football at the age of 28, Muller still managed to score a ridiculous 68 goals for Germany in just 62 matches.

Happy birthday to Der Bomber.

Bloody lethal…