Former Italian International Striker Gianluca Vialli Dies at 58
London: Ex Chelsea and Juventus striker Gianluca Vialli breathed his last on Friday in London at the age of 58 after he lost the battle with pancreatic cancer.
As a player he scored 275 goals in 732 matches and won the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup Winners Cup as two of the biggest silverwares in his career.
As a manager he managed Chelsea and Watford and also acted as the delegation chief of the Italy Football Team as well.
“This is truly an awful day for Chelsea Football Club. Gianluca’s legend will live on at Stamford Bridge”, Chelsea’s current co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said in a statement.
“His impact as a player, a coach and most importantly as a person, will be forever written across our club’s history.”
For the national team he scored 16 goals in 59 matches.
The Italian football federation (FIGC) have confirmed that a minute’s silence would be held before all matches across Italy in the weekend.
“Gianluca was a wonderful person and leaves an unbridgeable void, in the national team and in all those who appreciated his extraordinary human qualities,” it said.
Graeme Souness, the ex Liverpool captain who teamed up with his friend Vialli at Sampdoria, said he was just fabulous to be around.
“He was just fabulous to be around. He was such a fun-loving guy, full of mischief, wonderful footballer and a warm human being,” Souness said.
“People will say things about his magnificent football ability, and correctly so, but above all that what a human being”, he further added.