 Kunyangwe tarenda rake uye kugona kwake zvibodzwa, basa raRiva rakakanganiswa nekukuvara kwakanyanya, kunyanya nenyika yeItaly, uye izvo zvakadzora zvakanyanya nguva yake yekutamba mumwaka unotevera; akarasikirwa nemitambo makumi matatu neshanu mumwaka mishanu yakatungamira kusvika muna 1971, uye akangobuda mumitambo makumi maviri nemana yeCagliari pakati pa1974 na1976, izvo zvakaona kudzikira kwakazara kune rake rekutora zvibodzwa uye mashandiro ekirabhu panguva ino. Munguva yemwaka wa1974-75, kukuvara kwemhuru kwakamuganhurira kuita mitambo misere uye zvibodzwa zviviri nekirabhu, uye musi wa1 Kukadzi 1976, achitamba mumutambo weCagliari achipesana neMilan, Riva akapwanya tendon uye akabvarura mhasuru yeadductor muchiuno chake chekurudyi, zvichitevera dambudziko repanyama papfudzi padyo nekona mureza kubva kuna Aldo Bet, mushure mekudzingirirwa nemudziviriri weMilan; haana kuzombobudirira kupora uye, kunyangwe akati wandei ekuedza kudzoka pamusoro pegore rinotevera nehafu, akazopedzisira amanikidzwa kuenda pamudyandigere muna 1978, aine makore makumi matatu nematatu, achitamba mutambo wake wekupedzisira aine makore makumi matatu nemasere muna 1976. Kukuvadzwa kwakaganhurira Riva kumitambo gumi nemashanu chete panguva ya1975-76 Serie AMwaka; kunyangwe akarova zvibodzwa zvitanhatu mumitambo misere mumwaka wekupedzisira webasa rake, Cagliari akapedza munzvimbo yekupedzisira mumutambo mukusavapo kwake, uye akadzikiswa kuSerie B. Pakazara, Riva akarova zvibodzwa mazana maviri nemakumi mana nesere zvekirabhu nenyika mukati mebasa rake mumitambo 439, achihwina zvibodzwa zana nemakumi mana neshanu neCagliari mumitambo 315, zana nemakumi mashanu neshanu akauya mumitambo 289 yeSeria A. Pakazara, akarova zvibodzwa makumi maviri neshanu mumitambo makumi matatu nemana mumakwikwi ese mumwaka wake gumi nematatu neCagliari, uye zvibodzwa makumi maviri nematatu zvebasa rekirabhu mumitambo mazana matatu nemakumi matatu nenomwe. 