Gianluca Vialli, former Italy striker and coach, died at the age of 58 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
“I’m genuinely gutted about this. I had Sampdoria home and away shirts because of him. I tried to replicate his volleys in the park and such a lovely man when I met him. RIP,” former England striker Peter Crouch tweeted.
As recently as the summer of 2021, he was still working in football, serving as delegation chief alongside close friend Roberto Mancini as Italy won Euro 2020.
Vialli, who was born in Cremona, began his playing career with local side Cremonese, where he helped them win promotion to Serie B before attracting interest from clubs higher up Italy’s football pyramid.
Sampdoria recognised his obvious talent in 1984 and formed a fruitful partnership with Mancini, dubbed “The Goal Twins” as they inspired a historic Serie A title triumph in 1990-91.
Cause of death:
While the cause of death has not been officially announced, Vialli had a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. The striker was first diagnosed with it in 2017 and was given an all-clear in 2020.
He developed the cancer again in 2021.
Net worth:
As per biographygist, Gianluca Vialli’s net worth is estimated at $20 million.
Stats:
Vialli played for Italy’s national team from 1985-1992, making 59 appearances and scoring 16 goals.
Vialli moved to England in 1996, signing with Chelsea. He spent two seasons with the club, scoring 19 goals in all competitions. He announced his retirement as a player in 1998, but stayed on as a coach with Chelsea.
Vialli has had inconsistent success as a coach. In addition to the Italian national team, he has managed a number of teams, including Chelsea, Watford, and Guingamp. He has seen several highs and lows, but overall he is one of the most admired and successful players in Italian football.
Vialli has received various individual and team honours during the course of his career. He twice received the Italian Footballer of the Year award and three times made the UEFA Team of the Year.
