Former Italy striker and Chelsea Manager, Gianluca Vialli dies at 58 after battling Pancreatic cancer.
The striker was first treated for cancer in 2017 before he was diagnosed with cancer for the second time in 2021.
Gianluca’s illness made him take a leave from his role with Italy in December to undergo treatment.
Gianluca was known for playing for Italian clubs Sampdoria and Juventus, and English Premier League team Chelsea.
Vialli retired from professional football in 1999 to focus on his role as a full-time manager. He won the FA Cup and the League Cup as a manager at Chelsea before leaving in 2000.
Already, tributes have started pouring in for the late football legend.
See Also: C. Ronaldo’s new club hit 7.4 million few days after signing the football legend
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp who discussed the ‘sad’ news at his press conference has this to say.
‘I never met him but in this specific case everybody knows what a player he was and you see the reaction of his former team-mates and colleagues – it tells you a lot about the kind of person he was. It’s really sad,’
‘It’s really tough and the reactions show everything. I wish his family and his friends all the strength necessary to get through this.’
Also, Fans have started laying flowers at Stamford Bridge to pay their respect to Vialli, a club legend.
A collection of flowers is now built outside the stadium for their former player and manager.
Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali have also released a statement following the death of Gianluca Vialli.
‘This is truly an awful day for Chelsea Football Club. Gianluca’s legend will live on at Stamford Bridge.
‘His impact as a player, a coach, and most importantly as a person, will be forever written across our club’s history.
‘We send our heartfelt and deepest condolences to his family and friends
