Former Italian soccer player Gianluca Vialli, who He played in the national team of his country and in clubs like Juventus and Inter, he died this Friday at the age of 58in a London hospital, due to pancreatic cancer that he suffered five years ago, according to European media reports.
On December 14, Vialli announced in a statement that he was leaving the coaching staff of the Italian national team to focus on overcoming the disease, but his condition worsened, the newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport reported.
Ciao Gianluca, non ti dimenticheremo mai ? pic.twitter.com/ZnAbs9qDUe
— Italian National ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri) January 6, 2023
Vialli, born on July 9, 1964 in the city of Cremona, had married Cathyrn in 2003, and had two daughters, Olivia and Sofia.
The footballer who played for the Italian national team in 59 games scoring 16 goals between 1985 and 1992, was diagnosed with the disease in 2017. He then underwent 17 months of chemotherapy sessions and an operation, but the treatments did not end the cancer.
In December 2021, he confirmed in an interview in England’s The Times that he was still fighting cancer: “The unwanted guest, as I call it, is still with me. Right now I’m in maintenance mode. The tumor is still there. Sometimes it’s more noticeable, other times less.”
Vialli was an exceptional forward, author of 259 goals in 673 games for his clubs, having also played for Cremonese, Sampdoria and Chelsea in England.
Vialli was an exceptional forward, author of 259 goals in 673 games for his clubs, having also played for Cremonese, Sampdoria and Chelsea in England.
The former soccer player won four Italian Cups, two Seria A titles, two Italian Super Cups, one FA Cup, one English League Cup, two European Cup Winners’ Cups, one UEFA Cup, one Champions League and one European Super Cup.
He was also a manager at Chelsea (between 1998 and 2000, also a footballer for six months) with whom he won a League Cup, an FA Cup and a Charity Shield, and Watford (2001/02).
Since 2019, he has worked as head of the Italian national team alongside his friend and coach Roberto Mancini: the image of the two embracing each other in tears at Wembley, when Italy was crowned European champion in 2021, is already a legend.
Vialli played two World Cups, in Mexico 1986 and at home in 1990when Italy was third and was eliminated after losing to Argentina, led by Diego Maradona, in the semifinals in definition with shots from the penalty spot in the city of Naples.
