Former Italy, Chelsea and Juventus star Gianluca Vialli dies aged 58

The
former
Italy,
Chelsea,
Sampdoria
and
Juventus
player
was
originally
diagnosed
with
pancreatic
cancer
in
2017
and,
after
announcing
he
had
been
given
the
all-clear
in
April
2020,
he
was
re-diagnosed
the
following
year.

Vialli
left
his
role
as
a
coach
with
Italy’s
national
team
in
December
due
to
complications
with
the
disease.

He
had
hoped
the
move
away
from
his
job
would
be
a
temporary
one,
though
reports
emerged
that
Vialli’s
family
had
flown
to
London
to
visit
him
in
hospital.

His
passing
was
confirmed
on
Friday
(January
6),
with
tributes
pouring
in
from
across
the
world
of
football
and
beyond.

You’ll
be
missed
by
so
many.
A
legend
to
us
and
to
all
of
football.

Rest
in
peace,
Gianluca
Vialli.
pic.twitter.com/mNJPDkCSYO

—
Chelsea
FC
(@ChelseaFC)

January
6,
2023

A
striker
in
his
playing
days,
Vialli
spent
much
of
his
career
at
Sampdoria
before
joining
Juve
in
1992.

He
moved
to
Chelsea
four
years
later
and
in
February
1998
was
named
player-manager
after
Ruud
Gullit’s
sacking,
becoming
the
first
Italian
to
manage
in
the
Premier
League.

Vialli
enjoyed
success,
going
on
to
guide
the
Blues
to
an
EFL
Cup
and
European
Cup
Winners’ Cup
double,
making
him
the
youngest
manager
to
win
a
UEFA
tournament
at
the
age
of
33
years
and
308
days,
a
record
that
stood
for
over
a
decade.

In
Vialli’s
first
full
season
as
player-manager,
Chelsea
claimed
third
spot
–
at
the
time
their
best
finish
in
the
Premier
League
–
and
also
beat
Real
Madrid
to
win
the
Super
Cup.
The
following
campaign
saw
the
Blues
reach
the
Champions
League
quarter-finals
and
win
the
FA
Cup.

Vialli,
who
made
59
appearances
for
Italy
between
1985
and
1992,
departed
Chelsea
shortly
into
the
2000-01
campaign
and
later
had
a
brief
spell
with
Watford.