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Gianluca Vialli (; 9 July 1964 – 5 January 2023) was an Italian football player and manager who played as a striker. Vialli started his club career at his hometown club US Cremonese in 1980, where he made 105 league appearances and scored 23 goals. His performances impressed UC Sampdoria, who signed him in 1984 and with whom he scored 85 league goals, won three Coppa Italia, Serie A and the European Cup Winners Cup.
In 1992, Vialli transferred to Juventus FC for a world record £12.5 million. During his time at the Turin club, he won the Italian Cup, Serie A, Italian Supercup, UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup. In 1996, Vialli joined Chelsea and became their player-manager the following season. In England, he won the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners Cup and UEFA Super Cup. He is one of nine footballers to have won the three main European club competitions and the only forward to have done so; he is also 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.
At international level, Vialli represented the Italy national team in two FIFA World Cups, in 1986 and (on home soil) in 1990. He also took part at UEFA Euro 1988, helping his nation to a semi-final finish, and was elected to the team of the tournament. During his twenty-year-long career as a professional footballer, he scored 259 goals at club level, 16 goals with the national team, and 11 goals with the Italy national under-21 football team, for a total of 286 goals in more than 500 appearances, making him the tenth-highest scoring Italian player in all competitions.
On his retirement from playing, Vialli went into management and later punditry, and worked as a commentator for Sky Italia. He 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.
Despite losing out to Milan in the 1990 European Super Cup, the club went on to win their first ever Serie A championship in the 1990–91 season, in which Vialli was league Capocannoniere with 19 goals – Goal celebration with a backflip, including one against Inter Milan. The following season, Sampdoria won the Supercoppa Italiana and reached the European Cup final, but Vialli would miss a number of chances as Johan Cruyff's FC Barcelona "Dream Team" won 1–0. This would be his last game with Sampdoria.
Following the arrival of manager Marcello Lippi, Vialli underwent an intense fitness and muscle strengthening training regime to lose weight, and gain speed, agility, physical strength, and stamina. Vialli refound his goalscoring form throughout the season, and through his leadership and decisive performances, he helped Juventus win the Scudetto (his second overall) and the Italian Cup in 1995, scoring 17 league goals during the season; the club also narrowly missed out on a treble after suffering a defeat in the 1995 UEFA Cup Final to AC Parma, despite Vialli scoring a spectacular second leg goal.
In January 1996, with his contract expiring in summer, Vialli decided to leave Juventus at the end of the season. He would finish his final season with Juventus by captaining the side to a Supercoppa Italiana victory (with Vialli scoring the only goal of the match) and a Champions League final win over defending champions AFC Ajax, playing alongside Del Piero and Fabrizio Ravanelli. Vialli's only two goals in the latter competition came in the semi-finals against FC Nantes; he scored the opening goal in a 2–0 home victory in the first-leg, and then scored again during the second leg, in addition to assisting Paulo Sousa's decisive goal, which allowed Juventus to advance to the final 4–3 on aggregate. During his four seasons with the club he totalled 102 appearances, scoring 38 goals.
During the 1997–98 season, Vialli scored four goals in a league win over Barnsley and a hat-trick against Norwegian side Tromsø in the Cup Winners' Cup, but still could not cement his place in the side under Gullit. However, following Gullit's dismissal in early 1998, Vialli assumed the role of a player-manager, winning the Cup Winners' Cup in 1998, and the League Cup. Although he left himself out of the squad for the League Cup final, Vialli finished the season as Chelsea's top scorer. He then began his first full season as player-manager with a 1–0 victory over Champions League winners Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup.
Vialli retired from professional football at the end of the 1998–99 season to focus on his position as Chelsea's manager. He made his last professional appearance in Chelsea's final match of the 1998–99 Premier League, scoring the winning goal against Derby County at Stamford Bridge and finishing his Chelsea career with 83 appearances and 40 goals.
The following season Chelsea won the UEFA Super Cup by beating Real Madrid 1–0, and finished third in the Premier League, just four points behind champions Manchester United in what was Chelsea's highest league finish since 1970, when they also finished third. After this, Vialli retired from playing.
The following season saw Chelsea make their debut in the UEFA Champions League, where they reached the quarter-finals. After a 3–1 first leg victory over FC Barcelona, they were eventually knocked out 4–6 on aggregate following a 5–1 return leg loss at Camp Nou after extra time. Despite a fifth-place finish in the Premier League, the campaign ended on a high note when Vialli guided Chelsea to a win over Aston Villa in the 2000 FA Cup final.
The 2000–01 season started brightly, with Chelsea beating Manchester United to win the Charity Shield, Vialli's fifth official trophy with the club in less than three years. 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.
In 1985, Vialli made his debut for the Italy senior team in a friendly match against Poland. He 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.
Vialli scored his first goal for Italy in a UEFA Euro 1988 qualifier against Malta in 1986. He 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. Although Italy were knocked out by the Soviet Union in the semi-final after losing 0–2, Vialli was named in UEFA's team of the tournament.
With the 1990 FIFA World Cup being held on home soil, Vialli named part of the squad and he was expected to make a huge impact for the hosts. However, after failing to score in the first match against Austria, despite setting up the winning goal via a cross, 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, however, scored by Giuseppe Giannini, with his dummy on Roberto Donadoni's pass, following a team move. He was subsequently 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. 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. He was substituted in the second half as Italy were eliminated on Penalty shootout, eventually finishing the tournament in third place. Because Italy assigned jersey numbers alphabetically to players for the World Cup (beginning with defenders, then midfielders, and finally attackers) Vialli wore the number 21 during the World Cup. Overall, he finished the tournament with two assists, which were both provided for the golden boot winner Schillaci.
Vialli returned to lead Italy's attack during the qualifying games for the UEFA Euro 1992 Championship under manager Azeglio Vicini, scoring in Italy's 3–1 win over Hungary and 2–0 win over Cyprus in 1991. However, Italy missed out on qualifying after finishing second behind the Soviet Union in Group 3.
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. It is rumoured that Vialli played a prank on Sacchi, which was the reason for his dropping from the national team.
Overall, Vialli made 59 appearances for Italy, scoring 16 goals.
In addition to his ability to score goals, Vialli was also capable of playing off of and creating chances for his teammates, courtesy of his good vision, tactical intelligence, and distribution, which also occasionally saw him play in deeper roles in Midfielder, as a playmaker or attacking midfielder; he was also endowed with good technical ability, dribbling skills, and ball control, which allowed him to play the ball first time, or beat opponents and retain possession under pressure. A quick, tenacious, hardworking, and energetic player, Vialli was gifted with pace, physicality, and stamina, and was known for his willingness to press opponents off the ball to win back possession. Vialli was seen as a new breed of striker in Italian football, who combined technique and goalscoring ability with speed, athleticism, and physical power.
Because of his outstanding athleticism, strength, and agility, he also excelled in the air, and had a penchant for scoring acrobatic goals from volleys and , which led his Juventus manager Marcello Lippi and president Gianni Agnelli at the time to praise him and compare him to legendary Italian striker Gigi Riva. In addition to his footballing skills, he was also highly regarded for his dedication, leadership qualities, strong mentality, and his charismatic influence on the pitch. Marino Bortoletti of Treccani described Vialli as a "modern striker, gifted with power and style", and as "the most representative player of his generation", along with compatriots Roberto Baggio and Franco Baresi.
From the late 2000s Vialli worked as a TV football commentator for Sky Italia. In 2007, he was linked with a move to the manager's position at Queens Park Rangers, following the club takeover by Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone and the dismissal of John Gregory as manager, but ultimately declined any interest in the job. During UEFA Euro 2012, he appeared as a pundit for the BBC's coverage of the tournament.
Vialli, alongside ex-Morgan Stanley and -Goldman Sachs investment banker Fausto Zanetton, co-founded Tifosy, a sports investment platform, with the aim of allowing anybody to invest in professional sports. Zanetton, its CEO, explained that "whilst there is an incredible passion and willingness to invest in sports, there is currently no way to do so for the average fan or investor...You no longer need to be a billionaire to invest in professional sports clubs." At Web Summit 2016, Vialli discussed his latest venture with Tifosy.
In October 2019, Vialli was appointed new delegation chief of the Italy national football team under head coach and personal friend Roberto Mancini (his former teammate and striking partner at Sampdoria), a position unfilled since Gigi Riva's retirement in 2013. On 11 July 2021, Italy won UEFA Euro 2020 after a 3–2 victory in a penalty shoot-out after a 1–1 draw after extra-time against England in the final.
In November 2018, Vialli revealed that he had successfully overcome a year-long illness with pancreatic cancer. He was treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. He 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. He died on the night between 5 and 6 January 2023, in the Royal Marsden Hospital, at age 58.
On 9 September 2023, Chelsea played a legends match against Bayern Munich – a rematch of the 2012 Champions League Final – at Stamford Bridge in Vialli's memory. Chelsea won 4–0 with proceeds benefiting The Chelsea Foundation and The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
Individual
Watford
Vialli then took up an offer to manage First Division club Watford in 2001–02. 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 Vialli was sacked after one year. Following this, he was drawn into a lengthy dispute with the club over the payment of the remainder of his contract.
International career
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. Overall Vialli represented the Italy U21 team 20 times, scoring 11 goals. He was also the top scorer in the 1986 Under-21 European Championship, with 4 goals, where Italy lost the final to Spain on penalties.
Style of play
Considered one of the best and most consistent Italian strikers of his generation, Vialli was a complete, dynamic, determined, and versatile forward, who was capable of playing anywhere along the front line; throughout his career, he was played on the wing, or in a deeper, Second striker, although his preferred position was in the Centre-forward as a main striker, where he could best take advantage of his offensive movement and opportunism inside the box, as well as his keen eye for goal. A prolific goalscorer, Vialli was known for his shooting power and accuracy with both feet as well as his head, which allowed him to finish off chances both inside and outside the penalty area.
Outside of professional football
In 2006, 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. Written over a period of two and a half years from November 2003 until early 2006, the book discusses the differences between English and Italian football. He also attributes his tendency to play as a wide attacker to playing on a field that was short and wide as a young boy. Vialli donated the proceeds of the book to the "Fondazione 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 (ALS).
Personal life and death
He was born into a wealthy family. His father was a "self-made millionaire"; it is often reported that his father is a billionaire but this was denied by his mother. He married Cathryn White-Cooper on 26 August 2003 and fathered two daughters, Olivia and Sofia. Vialli was a keen golfer and played at the Dunhill links championship pro-am event. He continued to live in the SW6 postcode of London 20 years after leaving Chelsea F.C.
Career statistics
Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition US Cremonese 1980–81 Serie C1 0 1981–82 Serie B 5 1982–83 Serie B 8 1983–84 Serie B 12 UC Sampdoria 1984–85 Serie A 9 1985–86 Serie A 8 1986–87 Serie A 16 1987–88 Serie A 13 1988–89 Serie A 33 1989–90 Serie A 19 1990–91 Serie A 23 1991–92 Serie A 20 Juventus FC 1992–93 Serie A 13 1993–94 Serie A 4 1994–95 Serie A 22 1995–96 Serie A 14 Chelsea 1996–97 Premier League 11 1997–98 Premier League 19 1998–99 Premier League 10
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and year Italy 0 0 5 5 1 0 3 2
+ List of international goals scored by Gianluca Vialli 1 24 January 1987 Stadio Comunale, Bergamo, Italy 5–0 5–0 UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying 2 10 June 1987 Letzigrund, Zürich, Switzerland 3–1 3–1 Exhibition game 3 Stadio San Paolo, Naples, Italy 1–0 2–1 UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying 4 2–1 5 5 December 1987 San Siro, Milan, Italy 1–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying 6 Stadio della Vittoria, Bari, Italy 2–1 4–1 Friendly 7 3–1 8 31 March 1988 Stadion Poljud, Split, Yugoslavia 1–0 1–1 Friendly 9 14 June 1988 Waldstadion, Frankfurt, West Germany 1–0 1–0 UEFA Euro 1988 10 16 November 1988 Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy 1–0 1–0 Friendly 11 26 April 1989 Stadio Erasmo Iacovone, Taranto, Italy 1–0 4–0 Friendly 12 1 May 1991 Stadio Arechi, Salerno, Italy 3–0 3–1 UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying 13 12 June 1991 Eleda Stadion, Malmö, Sweden 2–0 2–0 Friendly 14 21 December 1991 Stadio Pino Zaccheria, Foggia, Italy 1–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying 15 9 September 1992 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands 3–2 3–2 Friendly 16 19 December 1992 Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta 1–0 2–1 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
Managerial statistics
Chelsea 12 February 1998 12 September 2000 143||76||38||29| Watford 1 June 2001 14 June 2002 52||20||11||21|
Honours
Player
Sampdoria
Italy U21
Italy
Manager
Chelsea
Orders
External links
Categories: 1964 Births, 2023 Deaths, Deaths From Pancreatic Cancer In England, Footballers From Cremona, Men's Association Football Forwards, Italian Men's Footballers, Italy Men's International Footballers, Italy Men's Under-21 International Footballers, World Soccer Magazine World Player Of The Year Winners, Us Cremonese Players, Uc Sampdoria Players, Juventus Fc Players, Chelsea F.c. Players, Serie A Players, Serie B Players, Serie C Players, Premier League Players, Expatriate Men's Footballers In England, Italian Expatriate Sportspeople In England, Italian Expatriate Men's Footballers, Italian Football Managers, Premier League Managers, Expatriate Football Managers In England, Chelsea F.c. Managers, Watford F.c. Managers, 1986 Fifa World Cup Players, Uefa Euro 1988 Players, 1990 Fifa World Cup Players, Italian Expatriate Football Managers, Uefa Champions League–winning Players, Uefa Europa League–winning Players, Italian Association Football Commentators, Men's Association Football Player-managers, Mass Media People From Cremona, Commanders Of The Order Of Merit Of The Italian Republic, Knights Of The Order Of Merit Of The Italian Republic, Association Football People Awarded Knighthoods, 20th-century Italian Sportsmen
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