Super striker in Bologna, he was the protagonist with Milan at Wembley in 1963 in the final with Benfica: “The best and most important match of my life. It was a tactical move studied for days and days”
El Piva turns 90 tomorrow. He lives in the historic center of Bologna, in a beautiful house full of memories and sweet melancholy. Gino Pivatelli arrives there in 1953, he is twenty years old and has a foot size of 40. Not much for a center forward of that time. But Gipo Viani, technical director, sheriff and diviner of the champions, has no doubts: «Trust Gipo. True, this boy has a short and delicate foot. But it’s better, so he hits the whole ball well. He is much more than a centre-forward, he was born to play football. I don’t know how long it will last, but now we have it.’
