Only days after the passing of Pele, Italy legend Gianluca Vialli has passed away at the age of 58. The striker had been battling pancreatic cancer since 2017, and on January 6, he breathed his last.
Prior to being readmitted to a hospital in London, the Head of Delegation of the Italian national soccer team had announced that he would be missing Italy’s next few games in March 2023 due to his health issues. He was expected to start a new phase of treatment accompanied by his close family.
Gianluca Vialli passes away at the age of 58
The icon started his career playing for Cremonese before moving to Sampdoria. He won the league title with them, and finished as the top scorer in Serie A in 1990/91. Later on, he moved to Juventus and won the Serie A title, UEFA Cup, as well as Champions League.
A partnership with Italy manager Roberto Mancini fostered, which is still considered the best Sampdoria side till date. They won three Coppa Italia titles, and also made it to the finals of the European Cup against Barcelona at Wembley.
After playing for Juventus, Gianluca Vialli would go on to finish his career with Chelsea. He would go on to coach the Blues between 1997 and 2001 for four seasons. He won a European Cup Winners’ Cup, an FA Cup, a League Cup, a European Super Cup and a Community Shield as their manager, before a brief spell with Watford.
One of the last and brightest moments of his career was no doubt celebrating the victorious Euro 2020 campaign with his friend, Roberto Mancini, after they beat England at Wembley Stadium.
