On the one hand the family: his sons Nicola and Mauro, with his granddaughters Virginia, Ilaria, Sofia, Gaia and Cecilia. On the other, the former teammates of the historic 1970 championship . In the centre, the coffin of Gigi Riva, the champion who has passed away. Now there is a red and blue shirt covering it. Outside, lined up, thousands of Sardinians who want to pay homage to their legend, who died at the age of 79, betrayed by a heart that was acting up and no one knew it.

His people, the ones he had chosen, arrived en masse, silent and deferential, in the funeral chapel set up for Rumble of Thunder in the atrium of the Unipol Domus grandstand. Next to where the stadium that will bear his name will be built: the Gigi Riva.

The wait is long, at the moment you have to wait up to an hour. Maybe more. It is faced. Then you enter. And inside, in the presence of the mortal remains of the Italian football legend, there is the obligation of confidentiality, the same that characterized Riva in life: someone tries to take out the smartphone, to take a photo of the leadwall with photos and scarves. He is electrocuted by the security guards and forced to put the device in his pocket.

There are crowds in Sant'Elia. On the first day of mourning for Cagliari and Sardinia. The ocean wave is expected tomorrow at the Basilica of Bonaria: Gigi Riva's funeral is set for 4pm.

Luca Neri – Enrico Fresu

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