Gianluca Vialli, a former striker for Juventus, Chelsea, and Italy, passed away on Friday at the age of 58 from pancreatic cancer, according to his former club Sampdoria.
Despite receiving a cancer diagnosis in 2017, Vialli was still able to contribute significantly to Italy’s successful 2021 campaign at the European Championship, helping longtime Sampdoria strike partner and national coach Roberto Mancini.
“Together, we have made great progress while learning and looking, succeeding and dreaming.
We honor you as a man because you arrived as a youngster “Sampdoria, based in Genoa, stated in a statement.
Before joining Juventus in 1992 for a then-record 16.5 million euro transfer fee, he established himself in Sampdoria over the course of eight seasons, winning the Serie A championship and European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Before joining Chelsea in 1996 and taking on the role of player-manager in 1998, he won the Champions League while playing for Juventus.
Late in the season, Gianluca Vialli took over for the fired Ruud Gullit, and he later helped Chelsea win the League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, and UEFA Super Cup. Additionally, he led Chelsea to victory in the FA Cup final in 2000 before being fired the following year.
