The fourteenth winner of the "Golden Ball" - Gianni Rivera

Readthe twelfth Ballon d'Or winner - Gianni Rivera

The heart and soul of the European club champion deserved the award in 1969

The battle for the best football player in Europe in 1969 looks fierce. In addition to established names, the Ballon d'Or ranking also includes players whose potential will continue to grow and their successes will continue to grow. In the end, after a vote by 26 journalists from the countries that are members of the European Football Headquarters, the most prestigious individual honor was awarded to Gianni Rivera.

The Milan midfielder became the first Rossoneri player to win the competition and the second Italian since Omar Sivori in 1961, but with the clarification that Sivori was born in Argentina and received an Italian passport. The midfielder has been part of famous moments in Milan's history and his contribution to the team's performance, both in Serie A and in the European Cup, has been more than significant.

Giovanni Rivera, as his full name is, collects 83 points in the ranking, which is only 4 more than the second Gigi Riva. Rivera's compatriot and national team-mate is also having an impressive year with his club team Cagliari. Fourteen people think the AC Milan midfielder is most deserving of the award, while a further five place him in the top 5 for him to overtake Luigi Riva. The Cagliari forward has 10 first places, 3 second, 3 third and 4 fourth places, so he is really short of reaching the top. Gerd Muller is far behind. Bayern Munich's top scorer has just 38 points despite scoring 30 goals for the Bavarians' home double. Last season's winner George Best of Manchester United remained sixth after fourth place was shared by two competitors - 22-year-old Johan Cruyff of Ajax and Swede Ove Kindvall of Amsterdam's arch-rivals in the Netherlands, Feyenoord.

The holder of the "Golden Boot" in the 1968/69 season, Petar Zhekov of the CSKA team, is also among the best European footballers, but remains in ninth position, one behind the record of Georgi Asparuhov. However, Zhekov collects more points than the famous striker of Levski - 14, with which he is ahead of players such as Albert Shesternev, Dragan Jaic and his main competitor for the "Golden Boot" Yorgos Sideris.

But why exactly is the Milan playmaker the player who won the prize? The technical qualities of the player are one of the great advantages that he has in his arsenal. In leagues where physical strength, defensive football dominates and it is difficult to stand out with a lot of goals, such as the Italian, German and Dutch, Rivera stands out with dedication, fighting spirit and an understanding with the other attacking players of Milan, which he has to feed balls. For the fourth year in a row, his game in Calcioto was defined as "dancing" on the field, and in 1969 this paid off with a triumph in KESH. AC Milan beat Ajax in the final in Madrid to claim their second European crown. Yes, Rivera is not among the top scorers, neither for his team nor in this competition, but Milan coach Nereo Rocco says: "Without Rivera, Milan become an unrecognizable team." However, Milan lost the battle for the Scudetto to Fiorentina and remained level on points with Cagliari, whose goalscorer Gigi Riva is second in the Ballon d'Or standings.

The year Gianni Rivera won the most prestigious individual award in European football has been very exciting, very curious, both at club and national level. New characters appear on the scene, and the winner of the Ballon d'Or ranking is one of the few who shines not by scoring goals, but by his beautiful play on the field.

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