Gianluca Vialli, the former Italy, Chelsea and Juventus striker, has died today at the age of 58.
He represented the Azzurri in the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, won the Champions League with Juventus in 1996 and gained popularity in England during a short spell at Stamford Bridge.
Vialli would serve as Chelsea’s player-manager and then manager, leading them to the European Cup Winners’ Cup and the League Cup in 1998, plus the FA Cup in 2000.
Gianluca Vialli, pictured on Italy duty in September, has died at the age of 58 with cancer
Vialli was a key figure in Italy’s run to winning Euro 2020, serving as their head of delegation
Vialli was a prolific striker for Sampdoria and Juventus in Italy, then for Chelsea in England
His death follows a battle with pancreatic cancer, with his condition worsening in the week leading up to Christmas and family rushing to his bedside in a London hospital.
Vialli was diagnosed with the illness for a second time in 2021, having been given the all-clear in April 2020 following a 17-month struggle.
He was working in Roberto Mancini’s coaching staff during Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph last year but had recently stepped down to concentrate on his latest cancer fight.
Born in the city of Cremona in Lombardy, Vialli began his playing career at local club Cremonese, helping them win promotion to Serie B, the Italian second division.
His goal-scoring soon attracted the attention of Sampdoria, where his prolific strike partnership with Mancini – they were nicknamed ‘The Goal Twins’ – helped the club win their first-ever Serie A championship in 1990-91.
Vialli (right) and Roberto Mancini (left) were known as ‘The Goal Twins’ at Sampdoria
The pair embrace after Italy defeated England on penalties in last year’s Euro 2020 final
Vialli lifts the Champions League after Juventus defeated Ajax on penalties in the 1996 final
Vialli was the league’s leading goalscorer that season with 19 and his backflip celebration became commonplace.
It was a golden era for Sampdoria, who also won three Italian Cups and the European Cup Winners’ Cup during Vialli’s time there.
They also reached the final of the European Cup in 1992 but lost 1-0 to Barcelona at Wembley.
Juventus signed Vialli for a then world record fee of £12.5million in 1992 and his success continued with triumphs in the UEFA Cup, Serie A and the Italian Cup.
But the highlight came when Juventus defeated Ajax in the 1996 Champions League final, when he partnered Alessandro Del Piero and Fabrizio Ravanelli in a formidable strikeforce.
Vialli achieved success at all of his clubs as a player, but with Juventus won the Champions League in 1996 having lost the 1992 final at Sampdoria
He was tempted to Chelsea that summer as Ruud Gullit built the Blues up from mid-table anonymity to a trophy-winning side.
His relationship with Gullit was rocky, however, and Vialli would only get a five-minute cameo as Chelsea won the 1997 FA Cup final by beating Middlesbrough.
Vialli celebrates with Dennis Wise after Chelsea beat Stuttgart in the 1998 European Cup Winners’ Cup final
When the Dutchman was fired early in 1998, Vialli, aged 33, was appointed player-manager in his place.
Success followed almost immediately in the League Cup and then the European Cup Winners’ Cup, with Chelsea beating Stuttgart 1-0 in the final.
Retiring from playing at the end of the 1998-99 season with a career scoring record of 259 goals in 673 club games, Vialli was able to concentrate solely on his Chelsea coaching duties.
They won the FA Cup in 2000, beating Aston Villa 1-0 in the last final staged at the original Wembley Stadium.
But that joy was short-lived and he was sacked five games into the 2000-01 campaign following poor results and fall-outs with players including Gianfranco Zola and Didier Deschamps.
Vialli briefly managed Watford after that but didn’t return to management, instead working as a commentator for Sky Italia and a pundit on other channels.
He represented Italy 59 times at senior level, scoring 16 times. Vialli was named in the team of the tournament for Euro ’88 after Italy reached the semi-finals.
Chelsea were a successful cup side under Vialli, winning the League Cup in 1998
They also lifted the FA Cup in 2000 in the last final to be played at the original Wembley
He also played in the 1990 World Cup on home soil but failed to produce the goals expected of him as Italy lost on penalties to Argentina in the semi-finals.
In 2019, Vialli was appointed delegation chief for the Italy national team under head coach and friend Mancini.
He played a big role behind the scenes in their Euro 2020 triumph, achieved when they beat England on penalties at Wembley in July last year.
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