Cesare Poli, one of the protagonists of Cagliari’s championship has died

Cagliari – Cesare Poli passed away just before eight o’clock on Friday. Just eight months after the passing of his bomber friend, Gigi Riva: “Look, you score so many goals just because I don’t mark you!” was one of Cece’s most popular jokes, a diminutive coined by Rombo di Tuono and Beppe Tomasini. “He was our twelfth starter, his ability to cover multiple roles led him to be so. A friend to everyone and physically strong” was the description coined by the Cagliari and national team bomber for the documentary “Nel nostro cielo un rombo di tuono” by Riccardo Milani.

The arrival at Cagliari in 1969

Vicenza native of Breganze, he arrived in Cagliari from Inter in 1969, in the brilliant exchange of the rossoblù vice president Andrea Arrica who gave Boninsegna to the nerazzurri and brought to Sardinia, with Poli, also Domenghini and Gori. He played in the city in two stages, from ’69 to 1971, and from 1973 to 1975 following the second stint with Vicenza. Born in ’45, with good youth experiences in athletics before switching to football, the right-footed full-back was not in great shape. “The death of his wife Grazia had hurt him deeply. He felt alone”, recalls Sandro Camba, a close friend of the former rossoblù of the scudetto.

The pain for the disappearance of Riva

Cesare Poli had also taken Riva’s passing rather badly. Very close, from the nursing home of Frutti d’oro, on the coast to Villasimius, he had communicated to his friends of always, through tears, his farewell to the left-handed player who is not forgotten. “He was a calm person, always available, we had trained him to joke because he was a little withdrawn” comments Beppe Tomasini, captain of the championship, with his voice broken by emotion. “Yes, he was easy-going and had an excellent memory: he remembered perfectly the forwards who had scored against him and those from whom he had hidden the ball” adds Sandro Camba. Cesare Poli collected with that Cagliari that brought the tricolor to the island in ’69/70, 99 appearances. Eleven in the year of the championship. He competed for the shirt with Zignoli and Mancin.

A luxury substitute for the Scudetto-winning Cagliari

For that group led by Manlio Scopigno he was a luxury reserve, he could also play as a midfielder and a pure defender. Appreciated by the coaches both for his eclecticism and for his excellent athletic and competitive qualities. “Having hung his shoes on some type of wall” as Francesco De Gregori sings, he had settled in the city. After Riva, the farewell of another of the heroes of the title has shaken the fans, his teammates and friends. Cagliari posted a memory that highlights his choices after the stop: “Poli never wanted to kick a ball again, not even with some amateur team. He never made a secret of loving athletics more than football. Goodbye Cece, forever a red and blue heart”. Cesare leaves behind his children Giuseppe and Giorgia. The funeral will be held on Monday afternoon.