Football world mourns death of Italian legend

1 year ago 72

Gianluca Vialli, the erstwhile Italy striker who helped some Sampdoria and Juventus triumph Serie A and European trophies earlier becoming a player-manager astatine Chelsea, has died. He was 58.

The Italian shot federation confirmed Vialli's decease connected Friday evening AEDT.

Vialli announced successful 2018 that helium had flooded a year-long conflict with pancreatic crab but said successful December 2021 that the illness had returned.

With his information worsening, Vialli announced successful mid-December that helium was temporarily stepping down from his relation arsenic the delegation main for Italy’s nationalist team.

Vialli had been appointed delegation main nether Azzurri caput manager Roberto Mancini, a long-time person and erstwhile teammate.

Vialli and Mancini were known arsenic the "gemelli del gol", oregon "goal twins", erstwhile they played unneurotic astatine Sampdoria, starring the nine based successful Genoa to its lone Serie A rubric successful 1991 and its lone European rubric successful 1990 with the Cup Winners’ Cup, positive 4 Italian Cup trophies.

Vialli and Mancini besides led Sampdoria to the 1992 European Cup final, which it mislaid to Barcelona astatine Wembley Stadium.

As delegation chief, Vialli reunited with Mancini to assistance Italy triumph the European Championship by beating England successful a punishment shootout astatine Wembley past year.

“We person a narration that goes mode beyond friendship,” Mancini said during the Euros.

“He’s similar a existent member to me.”

Vialli’s decease comes 3 weeks aft the premature passing of different Serie A great, Siniša Mihajlović, who died aft a agelong conflict with leukaemia. Mihajlović besides played with Mancini astatine Sampdoria aft Vialli near the nine for Juventus.

Vialli won different Serie A rubric astatine Juventus and besides raised the Champions League and UEFA Cup trophies with the Bianconeri.

Vialli played for Italy’s nationalist squad from 1985-1992, making 59 appearances and scoring 16 goals.

Vialli ended his playing vocation portion besides managing Chelsea, starring the London nine to FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup titles.

He continued to unrecorded successful London aft moving connected from Chelsea into TV commentary and different ventures.

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