The Italian Football Federation said former Chelsea player and manager Gianluca Vialli died aged 58 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
The former Italy and Juventus striker was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017. In 2020, he said that after treatment at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, he received everything safely. In 2021, he was again diagnosed with the disease, and said last month that he was stepping down as head of the Italian national team’s delegation.
Before Christmas, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera said his mother Maria Teresa, who is 87 years old, and his brother Nino had gone to London to visit him in hospital.
During his 16-year playing career in Italy, Vialli won every major trophy there was to win, including Serie A titles with Sampdoria (1991) and Juventus (1995), the Champions League with Juventus (1996), the UEFA Cup and the Cup for UEFA Cup winners. He also won the Coppa Italia four times.
In 59 appearances for Italy, he scored 16 goals and helped the Azzurri finish third in the 1990 World Cup. In 1992, when he moved from Sampdoria to Juventus for £12.5 million, it was a world record transfer fee.
Italian legend Gianluca Vialli has passed away after a long battle with cancer 🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/NYSbJOEzlw
— 433 (@433) January 6, 2023
Vialli joined Chelsea in 1996. At the end of his first season, he helped the team win the FA Cup. The following season, as player-manager, he led the club to victory in both the League Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. His popularity went beyond Stamford Bridge as he knew how to use everyday English and had a twinkle in his eye.
Peter Crouch, a former England striker, tweeted: “I am really devastated by this. Thanks to him I had Sampdoria home and away shirts. I tried to recreate his volleys in the park and such a nice man when I met him. REST IN PEACE.”
When they won the FA Cup in 2000, he had won five major trophies in less than three years. At the time, he was the club’s most successful manager. However, he fired five games for the next season. Chelsea tweeted: “You will be missed by so many. A legend for us and for all of football. Rest in peace, Gianluca Vialli.”
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Although still battling cancer, he was named the new head of the Italian delegation by his good friend and coach Roberto Mancini. He played a key role in Italy’s Euro 2020 victory.
After Italy beat England in the final penalty shootout at Wembley, fullback Alessandro Florenzi said what Vialli meant to the winning team.
He said: “He’ll hate me for saying this, but I don’t care. We have an example among us that teaches us how to live, in every moment, in every situation. And I’m talking about Gianluca Vialli. He is special to us. Without him, and without Mancini and the other coaches, this win would mean nothing. He is a living example. I know he’s going to get mad, but I just had to say it.”
Is the reason why Gianluca Vialli died known?
Although the official cause of death has not been named, Vialli had been battling pancreatic cancer for a long time. He was first told he had it in 2017, and in 2020 said he was given everything safely after treatment at London’s Royal Marsden Hospital.
Italian legend Gianluca Vialli has sadly passed away at the age of 58 after his brave battle with cancer.
A nice guy, a fantastic striker, a real man who is appreciated by everyone in football and beyond the sporting world.
Thoughts go out to his family.
RIP, Gianluca 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/I0CcqWNzaM
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 6, 2023
Vialli said he had eight months of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiotherapy. At the time he said: “It’s been a year and I have a beastly physique again. But I’m still not sure how this match will end.” He resigned from Italy in December after being diagnosed with the disease again in 2021.
How has Gianluca Vialli’s life been so far?
Vialli grew up with his four siblings in the 60-room Castello di Belgioioso in Cremona. His father had made a lot of money on his own. on August 26, 2003, Vialli married Cathryn White-Cooper. They had two daughters, Olivia and Sofia.
He enjoyed playing golf and competed in the Dunhill Links Championship pro-am. Twenty years after he left Chelsea, FC Vialli continued to live in SW6 in London. In November 2018, Vialli said he had been fighting pancreatic cancer for a year and won.
He went to Royal Marsden Hospital to get help. on April 13, 2020it was reported that pancreatic cancer he had been dealing with for the past 17 months was gone.
On December 21, 2021, he said this was the second time he had battled pancreatic cancer. He died January 6, 2023when he was 58 years old… Just follow us on Lee Daily for more news like this.
