The Italian Football Federation said that former Chelsea player and manager Gianluca Vialli died at age 58 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
The former striker for Italy and Juventus was first told he had pancreatic cancer in 2017. In 2020, he said that after treatment at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, he had been given the all-clear. He was told again in 2021 that he had the disease, and he 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 that his mother Maria Teresa, who is 87 years old, and his brother Nino had gone to London to visit him in the 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 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. He also won the Coppa Italia four times.
In 59 games for Italy, he scored 16 goals and helped the Azzurri finish third at 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 fight 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 next 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 because he knew how to use everyday English and had a twinkle in his eye.
Peter Crouch, a former England striker, tweeted: “I’m genuinely gutted about this. I had Sampdoria home and away shirts because of him. I tried to replicate his volleys in the park and such a lovely man when I met him. RIP.”
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 has fired five games into the next season. Chelsea tweeted: “You’ll be missed by so many. A legend to us and to all of football. Rest in peace, Gianluca Vialli.”
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Even though he is still fighting cancer, he was named the new head of Italy’s delegation by his close friend and coach Roberto Mancini. He played a key role in Italy’s win at Euro 2020.
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 will hate me for saying this, but I don’t care. We have among us an example that teaches us how to live, in any moment, in any situation. And I’m talking about Gianluca Vialli. For us, he’s special. Without him, and without Mancini and the other coaches, this victory would mean nothing. He is a living example. I know he will get angry, but I just had to say it.”
Is the Reason Gianluca Vialli Died Known?
Even though the official cause of death has not been said, Vialli fought pancreatic cancer for a long time. He was first told he had it in 2017, and in 2020 he said he was given the all-clear after treatment at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.
Italian legend Gianluca Vialli has sadly passed away at the age of 58, after his brave battle with cancer.
A kind guy, a fantastic striker, a real man appreciated by everyone in football and outside sports world.
Thoughts go out to his family.
RIP, Gianluca 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/I0CcqWNzaM
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 6, 2023
Vialli said he had chemotherapy for eight months and radiotherapy for six weeks. At the time, he said: “It’s been a year and I’m back to having a beastly physique. But I still have no certainty of how this match will end.” He quit his job with Italy in December after being told again in 2021 that he had the disease.
What Has Gianluca Vialli’s Life Been Like 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 liked to play golf and took part in the Dunhill links championship pro-am. Twenty years after he left Chelsea F.C. Vialli kept living in SW6 in London. In November 2018, Vialli said that he had been fighting pancreatic cancer for a year and had won.
He went to the Royal Marsden Hospital to get help. On April 13, 2020, it was reported that pancreatic cancer he had been dealing with for the past 17 months was gone.
On December 21, 2021, he said that this was the second time he had been fighting pancreatic cancer. He died on January 6, 2023, when he was 58 years old… Follow us only on Lee Daily for more news like this.
