An evening event on the eve of tomorrow's big match. It's the presentation of the first edition of the "Trofeo Gigi Riva" (Gigi Riva Trophy), held in the Giorgio Pisano Hall in Piazza L'Unione Sarda: a moment to celebrate the legend and remember the historic 1970 match against Saint-Étienne, tomorrow's opponent. The event is hosted by journalists Mariangela Lampis and Enrico Pilia, along with many Cagliari players from past and present. It has already attracted impressive attendance figures, with the event sold out well in advance: seats in the hall were booked in recent days. Those wishing to follow the live broadcast can do so on unionesarda.it, L'Unione TV (channel 12 on digital terrestrial, its first live broadcast), and on FM via Radiolina. Tomorrow, on match day, L'Unione Sarda will dedicate an 8-page special—free with the newspaper at newsstands and on the digital app—to the rossoblù's epic adventure in the 1970-1971 European Cup, a unique achievement in the club's history.
The presences
Cagliari Calcio is participating in the hour-long evening, part of the many events that precede the match, with a delegation composed of President Tommaso Giulini, the son of the Legend and club board member Nicola Riva, and—representing the current team—captain Leonardo Pavoletti. Also in attendance are the legends who were part of both the Scudetto-winning team and the 1970 match against Saint-Étienne: Mario Brugnera, Adriano Reginato, and Beppe Tomasini, key figures in the unforgettable Cagliari squad that won the title.
The memory
Today is an opportunity to celebrate Riva, but also a journey into the past, spanning 55 years. On September 16, 1970, just over five months after mathematically winning the historic Scudetto, Cagliari faced Saint-Étienne in front of over 60,000 cheering fans in the first leg of the first round of the European Cup, a tournament then reserved only for the winners of the national leagues. The second ever match at the Stadio Sant'Elia ended 3-0: Riva scored a brace and Nenê added a goal to seal qualification.
A match that will be remembered with anecdotes and stories from those who were there that day, as well as with historic footage from the Videolina news archive and the pages of the Unione Sarda newspaper from the time. This will provide the perfect backdrop for the buildup to Saturday evening, when Cagliari and Saint-Étienne will meet again in memory of an unforgettable champion.
