Biography
Who is Gianni Rivera?
Early life and real name
Giovanni Gianni Rivera was born in Alessandria, Italy, on August 18, 1943. His parents were Edera and Teresio, and his father worked as a railway worker. Gianni began playing football with a local team named ASD Don Bosco.
While playing locally, he was scouted by Franco Pedroni, who was a former Milan midfielder and assistant coach at Alessandria. This led Gianni Rivera to join the local Serie A side at the age of thirteen.
Club career highlights
Gianni Rivera made his Serie A debut for the Alessandria senior side against Internazionale on June 2, 1959. Later that year, he was bought by AC Milan on a co-ownership deal. He spent his first season back on a year-long loan with Alessandria before joining Milan outright.
During his long career with AC Milan, he won two European Cups, three Serie A titles, and four Coppa Italia titles. He served as the team captain for twelve seasons and played alongside well-known teammates like Cesare Maldini and Giovanni Trapattoni.
Gianni Rivera was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 1969 and placed second in 1963. He retired from professional football in 1979 after a distinguished career on the pitch.
International football career
At the international level, Gianni Rivera represented the Italy national team 60 times between 1962 and 1974, scoring 14 goals. He took part in four World Cup tournaments, which were held in 1962, 1966, 1970, and 1974.
He scored the decisive goal in Italy's 4 to 3 extra-time win over West Germany in the semi-final of the 1970 World Cup. He was also a member of the first Italian side to win the European Football Championship in 1968.
Height and political career
Gianni Rivera stands at a height of 175 centimeters. After retiring from playing football, he became the vice-president of AC Milan and later entered politics in 1987.
In 2013, the FIGC appointed him as President of the educational youth sector for the Italy national team alongside Roberto Baggio and Arrigo Sacchi.
Birthday and age
Gianni Rivera was born on August 18, 1943, which makes Gianni 83 years old today. That birthday falls under the Leo sign. Gianni shares the date with 56 other famous people.
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