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It was one that he would never let down, never betray — not even when Juventus offered Cagliari a billion lire and nine players for him in 1970, after the prolific No. 9 had inspired the Islanders to the one and only Serie A title triumph in their history. By that stage, Riva had formed an unbreakable bond with the Sardinians' supporters that went far beyond football. He had come to realize that the game was a means of expression for a long-suffering people.
"Our opponents shouted 'thieves,' 'bandits' and 'sheep' at us," he said. "The referees were always against us. When I saw these buses of Cagliari fans arriving from Germany, Holland and England for our games in Milan or Torino, it wasn't the joy of sport you saw in their eyes but the joy of being Sardinian. It was pride. How could I leave them?"
He never would. More importantly, he never regretted winning just one title with Cagliari rather than several Scudetti with Juve.
"I feel proud of the choices that I've made in my life as a player and a citizen," he later declared. "Because I'm certain that without Sardinia and its people, Gigi Riva would never have existed."
Riva's touching humility, gratitude and loyalty came to mind during Gonzalo Higuain's unveiling as a Juventus player on July 29, after the completion of his 90 million euro ($99M) transfer from Napoli.
Partenopei supporters had been left both heartbroken and outraged by the striker's decision to join their most hated rivals. Higuain, though, was unrepentant.
"I had three good years in Napoli and I understand that the supporters are angry with me," he acknowledged. "I have seen the insults but this is a choice I made for me. I'm happy to have done it."
How he had done it, though, really rankled with Neapolitans. Whereas Riva could never bring himself to leave Cagliari, Higuain hadn't even had have the decency to say goodbye to Napoli.
"I was expecting at least a phone call, even if it was just for five minutes before he had his medicals at Juve," said Partenopei coach Maurizio Sarri, the man Higuain had previously credited with laying the foundations for his historic 36-goal haul in his final season at the San Paolo.
"The lads also expected a farewell but, as far as I know, there was nothing."
Napoli's fans also deserved better. After being made to feel like a bit-part player at Real Madrid, Higuain had been given a starring role at the San Paolo, heralded as the second coming by supporters desperate for a new messiah, another Maradona.
Higuain reveled in their adoration and actively cultivated the perception that he was one of them, gushing that Naples was "similar to Buenos Aires" and claiming that "an Argentine feels right at home there."
Ultimately, though, Higuain concluded that Turin could offer him something that Naples could not: major titles.
Higuain's decision to join Juve was not motivated by financial gain but ambition. Higuain could have earned more money staying at the San Paolo — something confirmed by both Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis and the player's agent — but he chose to depart in search of trophies.
It would thus be unfair to make an example out of Higuain — to single him out for chasing success. Most players, indeed most people, would have done the same in his position and besides, it is certainly more noble to be ambitious than greedy. Football, after all, is a game and its players want to win. Most fans are wired the same way. Victory is all that matters and the end justifies the means, as all Jose Mourinho apologists will insist.
But for some of its followers, football is about much more than the final result. It is about shared emotions, a collective sense of belonging, a deep-rooted connection with a club, a place or a people.
Likewise, for some players, such as Riva, Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Javier Zanetti and Francesco Totti, money or medals are not the be all and end all. Some things you cannot put a price on — or ribbons around: loyalty, unity, identity.
It is these intangibles that first drew many of us to the game and that keep us coming back for more — in spite of the widespread cheating, corruption and avarice. Some players can thus even transcend tribalism and come to represent the very essence of what it is to be a football fan.
As Zdenek Zeman once said of Totti's rise from Stadio Olimpico ball boy to Roma icon, "He is what every child dreams of being when they grow up: a fan that becomes a champion; a champion that becomes a symbol; a symbol that becomes a legend."
Higuain could have achieved such a status at the San Paolo. He decided otherwise. And that's OK. That was his choice. And he is happy with it.