Gianluca Vialli

Vialli, who played with Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017.

Mihajlović also played with Mancini at Sampdoria after Vialli left the club for Juventus. You came as a boy, we salute you as a man,” it said. “We have come a long way together, growing and searching, winning and dreaming.

Former Chelsea and Juventus star Gianluca Vialli has died at the age of 58 following a long battle with cancer.

Their Sampdoria team had lost the European Cup final to Barcelona at the same venue 29 years earlier. The memory of him and his example will live forever in our hearts." Vialli scored twice as Sampdoria beat Anderlecht 2-0 in 1990 to lift the European Cup Winners' Cup. The pair celebrated with a tearful embrace that "was more beautiful than the hugs we used to give each other when I passed him the ball and he scored goals," Vialli said in a TV interview with Italy's RAI in November. Under Vialli, Chelsea won the League Cup and Cup Winners' Cup in 1998 and the FA Cup two years later before he too was dismissed. Vialli left the Genoa-based club in the summer of 1992, moving to Juventus, where after a sluggish start he rediscovered his goal-scoring touch and helped the Turin giants win the Italian league in 1995 and the Champions League the following season.

The football world is in mourning once more, with former Juventus and Chelsea striker Gianluca Vialli passing away at the age of 58.

At international level, Vialli earned 59 caps for Italy, scoring 16 goals. Vialli guided the Blues to League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup glory and retired from playing in 1999 with 259 club goals to his name from 673 appearances. Another Serie A crown, Italian Cup and UEFA Cup were captured in Turin, but the undoubted highlight of a four-year stint with the Bianconeri came when beating Ajax in the 1996 Champions League final.

The Italian was adored by the Chelsea fanbase after his spells as player and manager between 1996-2000 where he won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Super ...

The former Juventus midfielder then had a spell in charge at Watford before moving into non-management roles, including his role as the delegation chief for the Italian men's national team. Following Ruud Gullit's sacking in February 1998, Vialli became the first Italian to manage in the Premier League. The 58-year-old had been battling pancreatic cancer after originally overcoming the illness in 2018.

Former Chelsea and Juventus star Gianluca Vialli has died at the age of 58 following a long battle with cancer.

Their Sampdoria team had lost the European Cup final to Barcelona at the same venue 29 years earlier. The memory of him and his example will live forever in our hearts." Vialli scored twice as Sampdoria beat Anderlecht 2-0 in 1990 to lift the European Cup Winners' Cup. The pair celebrated with a tearful embrace that "was more beautiful than the hugs we used to give each other when I passed him the ball and he scored goals," Vialli said in a TV interview with Italy's RAI in November. Under Vialli, Chelsea won the League Cup and Cup Winners' Cup in 1998 and the FA Cup two years later before he too was dismissed. Vialli left the Genoa-based club in the summer of 1992, moving to Juventus, where after a sluggish start he rediscovered his goal-scoring touch and helped the Turin giants win the Italian league in 1995 and the Champions League the following season.

Former Juventus, Chelsea and Italy striker Gianluca Vialli has died aged 58 of pancreatic cancer, his former clubs announced on Friday.

Sampdoria, where Vialli won the Serie A title and European Cup Winners’ Cup, said in their statement: “We have come a long way together, growing and searching, winning and dreaming. Vialli took over from the sacked Ruud Gullit late in the season, and went on to lead Chelsea to victory in the League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Super Cup. He won the Champions League with Juventus before joining Chelsea in 1996 and becoming player-manager in 1998.

Vialli was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017 and then for a second time in 2021, shortly after Italy's Euro 2020 triumph.

He retired as a legend in the sport in 1999 with 259 goals in 673 appearances at the club level. He then joined English side Chelsea after winning the Champions League in 1996 as a part of at the time Blues coach Ruud Gullit’s rebuild of the team. Vialli won the Champions League with Juventus in 1996 and was pronounced dead in the early hours of January 6th.

Gianluca Vialli, former Chelsea striker and manager, has died at the age of 58.

He made 59 appearances for the Azzurri and scored 16 goals. A love that will not die today with you. You gave us so much, we gave you so much: yes, it was love, reciprocal, infinite. “We won’t forget your 141 goals, your overhead kicks, your cashmere shirts, your earring, your platinum blonde hair, your Ultras bomber jacket. [statement](https://www.sampdoria.it/news/club/2023/01/06/una-firma-per-sempre-ciao-luca-vialli-uno-di-noi/): “You gave us so much, we gave you so much: yes, it was love, reciprocal, infinite. He moved to Sampdoria in 1984, where he won a Serie A title, three Italian Cups, an Italian Super Cup and a Cup Winners’ Cup through his eight-season spell at the club.

At Sampdoria, Vialli played alongside Roberto Mancini and won the Coppa Italia thrice and the UEFA winner cup in 1989–90 and Serie A...

“As soon as he walked through the door at Stamford Bridge when already a global football star, Luca declared his wish to become a Chelsea legend. With you, in victory and in defeat, in health and in sickness. Loved by fans, players and staff at Stamford Bridge, Luca will be sorely missed not just by the Chelsea community, but the entire footballing world, including in his native Italy, where he was such an iconic figure. Good journalism costs a lot of money. Strong and beautiful, with that 9 printed on the back and the Italian flag sewn on the heart. The memory of him and his example will live forever in our hearts.” That’s right: while raising trophies around Europe with different colours, tracksuits and clothes, Gianluca Vialli was a Sampdorian and the Sampdorians were with Gianluca Vialli. And we know that is how it ended. And those tears were ours. He also played in the Italian National team, Azzurri for seven years from 1985 to 1992 where he scored 16 goals in 58 appearances. A love that will not die today with you. We will continue to love and adore you.”

Everyone associated with Chelsea Football Club is devastated to learn of the passing of Gianluca Vialli, our former player and manager, at the age of just ...

In May 2018, he managed a Chelsea Legends team against Inter Milan at the stadium. A brief spell as Watford manager followed before he turned his hand to punditry, charity work, book writing and, in 2019, a role with the Italy team. Following the shock departure of Gullit in February ‘98, Vialli took the reins at Stamford Bridge a few days before the second leg of a League Cup semi-final at home to Arsenal. We made it all the way to the quarter-finals, drawing two memorable games with AC Milan, going to Galatasaray’s ‘Hell’ and winning 5-0, and then beating Barcelona 3-1 in one of the very best nights the Bridge has witnessed. It brought the curtain down on a campaign in which we had gone as close as we ever did to winning the title between 1955 and 2005. It had been a long time since a Chelsea team and the word consistency had gone together so well. That magical moment was soon commemorated in song, to the tune of That’s Amore, heard up and down the country, and later over Europe: ‘When the ball hits the back of the Old Trafford net, that’s Vialli!’ The love between player and fanbase was very real indeed. For the first of those finals he did not involve himself on the pitch, for the second he did, although it was his fellow star from Serie A, Zola, who scored the only goal seconds after being brought off the bench. Luca Vialli arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 1996, shortly after skippering Juventus to Champions League glory. As soon as he walked through the door at Stamford Bridge when already a global football star, Luca declared his wish to become a Chelsea legend. He scored what would prove the winner at Old Trafford in November ’96, nutmegging Peter Schmeichel and celebrating in front of the travelling Blues contingent. Loved by fans, players and staff at Stamford Bridge, Luca will be sorely missed not just by the Chelsea community, but the entire footballing world, including in his native Italy, where he was such an iconic figure.

The former Italy striker Gianluca Vialli, who had been undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer, has died at the age of 58.

[Italy](https://www.theguardian.com/football/italy) striker Gianluca Vialli has died at the age of 58. They added: “We will remember you as a boy and a relentless centre-forward, because heroes are all young and beautiful and you, since that summer of 1984, have been our hero. Vialli announced he had undergone radiotherapy and chemotherapy in November 2018, having been diagnosed with cancer one year earlier. A love that will not die today with you. He scored 16 goals in 59 appearances for Italy and featured in the Azzurri’s 1986 and 1990 World Cup squads. [Italy](https://www.theguardian.com/football/italy) team to focus on his treatment for pancreatic cancer.