Gianni Rivera was Italian football’s original golden boy, an attacking midfielder of exquisite touch who defined AC Milan across the 1960s and 1970s. Slight and languid, he saw passes others could not and dictated matches from the number ten role with the minimum of fuss.
He was central to Milan’s greatest era, lifting European and domestic honours, and in 1969 became the first Italian to win the Ballon d’Or. His long international career took in multiple World Cups, including the 1970 final in Mexico.
A one-club man for the Rossoneri, Rivera remained an emblem of Milanese elegance long after retirement, later serving the game as an administrator.