Cagliari's Teatro Doglio exploded with energy and red and blue colors, invaded by over 600 children who came to pay homage to a legend: Gigi Riva. It's the fourth day of the Gigi Riva Football Week, an event organized to celebrate 80 years of "Rombo di Tuono". But the guest who captures the attention today is another champion, a different but equally iconic Gigi: Buffon . The goalkeeper who defended the posts of Italy with the 2006 World Cup victory and who now, after inheriting the role of Riva at Coverciano, has arrived in the city to talk about his friendship with the champion and the teachings received from the legend.

"Being here is an immense joy, both to get to know the Cagliari community and to pass on untold memories of Gigi to the kids," Buffon says enthusiastically . "Today it was wonderful to see the curiosity and energy of the kids, to hear their questions and to be able to share with them anecdotes of a Riva that perhaps no one really knows."

The emotion is tangible. "There was pure energy in the room, and in the end Gigi Riva deserves all this: he is a failed Sardinian, someone who found happiness and salvation here, reciprocating the love of Sardinia in every possible way ", adds Buffon, once again giving the image of a man who gave and received from this Island like few others.

Buffon continues with deep respect: "Thinking of reaching his levels is crazy. I limit myself to doing my part, to giving my contribution and, when I can, to transmit the values and behaviors that I saw in him. I learned a lot from Gigi, and I hope to be able to give back even just a fragment of the greatness that he represented for me and for football ."