Former Italy, Juventus, Chelsea striker Gianluca Vialli dies, aged 58

Italian football was in mourning on Friday morning as former Italy, Sampdoria and Juventus striker Gianluca Vialli died after losing his long-standing battle with pancreatic cancer.

Just a few days from the death of two football icons such as Pelé and Sinisa Mihajlovic, world football lost another charismatic figure as the 58-year-old Vialli passed away in a hospital in London.

Late last month, the former Italy forward was forced to take a break from his role within the Italy national team set-up to continue his long-standing battle with pancreatic cancer as his condition worsened.


Unfortunately, Vialli failed to win the battle against pancreatic cancer that started in 2017.

Vialli was first diagnosed with the illness two years before becoming Italy’s delegation chief, providing support to old friend Roberto Mancini with whom he terrorised opposition defences in Serie A during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Nicknamed “the goal twins”, strikers Vialli and Mancini won the 1991 league title, the Cup Winners’ Cup, and three Italian Cups with Sampdoria.

Samp also came close to winning the European Cup in 1992, narrowly losing 1-0 to Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona at Wembley.

He then...