Gianluca Vialli Obituary, Funeral

Italian, Cremonese, Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea FC legend Gianluca Vialli has died at age 58 after losing a brave battle with cancer.

Vialli was first diagnosed with cancer in 2017 and a year later, having being treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital, he revealed that he had successfully overcome the year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.

On 13 April 2020, it was revealed that he had been given the all-clear from the pancreatic cancer that he had been suffering from for 17 months.

However, on 21 December 2021, he revealed that he had been battling the same pancreatic cancer for a second time.

In December 2022, Vialli quit his role with the Italian national team to enable him focus on his fight with the cancer.

He died on Jan 6, 2023.

“You’ll be missed by so many,” Chelsea wrote on social media. “A legend to us and to all of football. Rest in peace, Gianluca Vialli”

You’ll be missed by so many. A legend to us and to all of football.

Rest in peace, Gianluca Vialli. 💙 pic.twitter.com/mNJPDkCSYO

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 6, 2023

The Italian legend began his club career at Cremonese in 1980 in his native Italy where he made 105 league appearances and netted 23 goals.

He then signed for Sampdoria in 1984, during which time he scored 85 league goals, won 3 Italian cups, the Serie A and the European Cup Winners Cup.

Vialli transferred to Juventus for a world record £12.5 million in 1992 and won the Italian Cup, the Serie A, Italian Supercup, UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup.

Vialli joined Chelsea in 1996 and won the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

Vialli is survived by his wife Cathryn White-Cooper, his 87-year-old mother Maria Teresa, his brother Nino and two daughters, Olivia and Sofia.