1. Gianluca Vialli's performances impressed Sampdoria, who signed him in 1984 and with whom he scored 85 league goals, won three Italian cups, Serie A and the European Cup Winners Cup.
42 Facts About Gianluca Vialli
1. 2.
In 1996, Gianluca Vialli joined Chelsea and became their player-manager the following season.
3.
Gianluca Vialli is one of nine footballers to have won the three main European club competitions and the only forward to have done so; he is the only player in European footballing history to hold both winners and runners-up medals in all three mainstream UEFA club competitions, including two winners medals for the now-defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
4.
At international level, Gianluca Vialli represented the Italy national team in two FIFA World Cups, in 1986 and in 1990.
5.
Gianluca Vialli took part at UEFA Euro 1988, helping his nation to a semi-final finish, and was elected to the team of the tournament.
6.
On his retirement from playing, Gianluca Vialli went into management and later punditry, and worked as a commentator for Sky Italia.
7.
Gianluca Vialli was part of the Italy national team non-playing staff as a coordinator when they won UEFA Euro 2020; he stepped back from this role days before his death from cancer.
8.
Gianluca Vialli played for Sampdoria between 1984 and 1992, during which time the club had their most successful period in their history.
9.
Gianluca Vialli had a very good relationship with club president Paolo Mantovani and coach Vujadin Boskov, who were both described by Gianluca Vialli as being father figures.
10.
Sampdoria won their first ever Italian Cup in 1985 with Gianluca Vialli scoring in the final, and would win it again in 1988 and 1989, when Gianluca Vialli would score a record 13 goals in the tournament.
11.
In January 1996, with his contract expiring in summer, Gianluca Vialli decided to leave Juventus at the end of the season.
12.
Gianluca Vialli joined Chelsea in the summer of 1996 on a free transfer as part of manager Ruud Gullit's rebuilding of the side, despite having been strongly linked with Scottish champions Rangers.
13.
Gianluca Vialli adapted quickly to life in London due to his grasp of the English language and use of English idioms.
14.
However, following Gullit's dismissal in early 1998, Gianluca Vialli assumed the role of a player-manager, winning the Cup Winners' Cup in 1998, and the League Cup.
15.
Gullit was sacked as Chelsea manager in February 1998 and 33-year-old Gianluca Vialli was appointed player-manager, becoming the first Italian to manage in the Premier League.
16.
In beating VfB Stuttgart at the Cup Winners' Cup final on 13 May 1998, at 33 years and 308 days old, Gianluca Vialli became the youngest manager ever to win a UEFA competition.
17.
Gianluca Vialli was sacked five games into the season after an indifferent start and having fallen out with several players, including Gianfranco Zola, Didier Deschamps and Dan Petrescu.
18.
The club invested in a number of high-profile signings including AC Milan icon Filippo Galli, Ramon Vega, Patrick Blondeau and Pierre Issa, but only finished an unimpressive 14th and Gianluca Vialli was sacked after one year.
19.
Gianluca Vialli was a member of Italy's under-21 team for both the 1984 and 1986 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championships where the Azzurrini finished third and second respectively.
20.
Gianluca Vialli was the top scorer in the 1986 Under-21 European Championship, with 4 goals, where Italy lost the final to Spain on penalties.
21.
In 1985, Gianluca Vialli made his debut for the Italy senior team in a friendly match against Poland.
22.
Gianluca Vialli was included in Italy's squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup held in Mexico, appearing with an all-shaved head as a substitute in all four of Italy's matches as back-up for Bruno Conti.
23.
Gianluca Vialli scored his first goal for Italy in a UEFA Euro 1988 qualifier against Malta in 1986.
24.
Gianluca Vialli was included in Italy's squad for the finals of the Euro 1988 competition and scored the winning goal against Spain in the group stage.
25.
However, after failing to score in the first match against Austria, despite setting up the winning goal via a cross, Gianluca Vialli missed a penalty against the United States in the next match, hitting the lower near post with keeper Tony Meola diving the other way; he did play a role in the decisive goal scored by Giuseppe Giannini, with his dummy on Roberto Donadoni's pass, following a team move.
26.
Gianluca Vialli was dropped from the team in favour of the attacking duo of Roberto Baggio and Salvatore Schillaci, the latter of whom had scored the winning goal against Austria from Vialli's assist, after appearing as a substitute.
27.
Gianluca Vialli returned to the team for the semi-final against Argentina and played a role in Italy's opening goal after his shot on goal was blocked by Argentina keeper Goycochea and the rebound fell to Schillaci.
28.
Gianluca Vialli was substituted in the second half as Italy were eliminated on penalties, eventually finishing the tournament in third place.
29.
Gianluca Vialli made his last appearance for the Azzurri in December 1992; his strained relationship with coach Arrigo Sacchi brought his international career to a premature end, despite his club success during the 1990s.
30.
Gianluca Vialli was seen as a new breed of striker in Italian football, who combined technique and goalscoring ability with speed, athleticism, and physical power.
31.
In 2006, Gianluca Vialli released The Italian Job: A Journey to the Heart of Two Great Footballing Cultures, co-written with his close friend and football journalist, Gabriele Marcotti.
32.
Gianluca Vialli donated the proceeds of the book to the "Fondazione Gianluca Vialli e Mauro per la ricerca e lo sport", which is a charitable foundation he founded together with former player Massimo Mauro to raise funds for research into cancer and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
33.
In October 2019, Gianluca Vialli was appointed new delegation chief of the Italy national football team under head coach and personal friend Roberto Mancini, a position unfilled since Gigi Riva's retirement in 2013.
34.
Gianluca Vialli was born into a wealthy family, being raised in the 60-room Castello di Belgioioso in Cremona.
35.
Gianluca Vialli's father is a "self-made millionaire"; it is often reported that his father is a billionaire but this was denied by his mother.
36.
Gianluca Vialli married Cathryn White-Cooper on 26 August 2003 and fathered two daughters, Olivia and Sofia.
37.
Gianluca Vialli was a keen golfer and played at the Dunhill links championship pro-am event.
38.
Gianluca Vialli continued to live in the SW6 postcode of London 20 years after leaving Chelsea FC.
39.
In November 2018, Gianluca Vialli revealed that he had successfully overcome a year-long illness with pancreatic cancer.
40.
Gianluca Vialli was treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.
41.
Gianluca Vialli was given the all-clear from pancreatic cancer in April 2020, but in December 2021 revealed that he had been diagnosed with the disease for a second time.
42.
Gianluca Vialli died on the night between 5 and 6 January 2023, in the Royal Marsden Hospital, at age 58.