Former Chelsea manager, Gianluca Vialli, dies at 58

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

Vialli, who played 59 times for Italy, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017 but said in April 2020 that he had been given the all-clear.

The former Chelsea manager was re-diagnosed in 2021 and left a role with Italy’s national team in December 2022 to focus on his health.

“Gianluca was a splendid person and he leaves a void that cannot be filled.

“I hoped until the end that he would be able to perform another miracle. Yet I am comforted by the certainty that what he did for Italian football and the blue shirt will never be forgotten,” the President of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Gabriele Gravina, said on Friday.

The FIGC confirmed that a minute’s silence in memory of Vialli will be held before all Italian matches this weekend.

Speaking on Vialli’s death via a statement on Friday, Chelsea described the former player as “a brilliant striker, a trophy-winning manager, and a wonderful man, Luca’s place in the pantheon of Chelsea greats is assured.”

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“He will be deeply missed,” the club added.

Vialli made his Italy debut in 1985, a year after joining Sampdoria where he won the Serie A title and European Cup Winners’ Cup during eight seasons with the club.

He helped Sampdoria reach the 1992 European Cup final but after losing to Barcelona, he moved to Juventus for a then-world-record fee of £12m.

Vialli spent four seasons with Juventus, winning the Champions League, UEFA Cup, and Serie A titles.

He joined Chelsea on a free transfer in 1996 and became player-manager in 1998 – the first Italian to manage a Premier League side, taking over from the sacked Ruud Gullit late in the season – and went on to lead the Blues to victory in the League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, and UEFA Super Cup.

He also guided Chelsea to victory in the 2000 FA Cup final and Charity Shield but was sacked early in the following season after a poor start.

Gianluca Vialli then had a short spell as manager of Watford, then in the second tier, during the 2001-02 season but was dismissed after the Hornets only finished 14th.

In October 2019, he was appointed to Italy’s backroom staff by the manager and former Sampdoria team-mate Roberto Mancini.

He helped the Azzurri win Euro 2020 with a victory over England at Wembley in July 2021.

The Star