"A great man and a great player is gone."
Thus Gigi Riva to ANSA on the disappearance of Pelé.
"We knew each other and we respected each other a lot - continued Rombo di Tuono - he and Maradona remain at a clear distance from everyone. I would have loved to play with him: who knows how many balls he would have sent me into the box".
Instead, only opponents, from the 1970 Mexico final to the friendly match in Cagliari with Santos: "That day, after the match - he said - we went out together: he even invited me to his team's retreat. An exceptional player and a special person" .