Rombo di tuono and his 80th birthday. Cagliari is in the midst of celebrating one of its most important souls: Gigi Riva, who passed away last January, who would have celebrated his birthday yesterday. To pay homage to the ‘most Sardinian of Sardinians’ from Tuesday 5 November until Sunday 10, the regional capital has hosted and will host a series of events for the ‘Gigi Riva Football Week’, a week of events dedicated to the Italian football legend's 80th birthday.

One of the most eagerly awaited appointments was last night at Cagliari's Teatro Lirico for ‘Sa festa’, the evening dedicated to Riva's birthday: In addition to his sons Mauro and Nicola who were present in the front row, Claudio Ranieri - who reiterated the ‘weight’ that Riva had had in his decision to return to coach Cagliari in the year that led to promotion to Serie A - and Gigi Buffon, today Italy's Head of Delegation who, in an ideal handover, now holds the role that the legendary number 11 held during the triumphant 2006 World Cup.

‘It was a real honour to be in Cagliari to celebrate you. Your passion and your pride continue to inspire us every day,’ Buffon added. ’As Head of Delegation, he taught me to be a point of constance when everything around you is moving, trying to remain lucid in complicated situations, when people come to ask you for advice. Gigi was fantastic in this, he was a pillar of strength, always.' The Gigi Riva Football Week will close on Sunday evening with a free screening at the Notorius Cinemas of the film ‘Nel nostro cielo un rombo di tuono’ (In our sky, a roar of thunder), not before the eagerly awaited tribute to Riva at the Unipol Domus in the pre-match of Cagliari vs AC Milan on Saturday.