Gianluca Vialli, who died at the age of 58, was one of the great strikers of the modern era and also one of its most popular and endearing figures.
The Italian’s reputation was forged through a brilliant playing and managerial career, as well as his warm and dignified personality which made him loved by so many footballers around the world, not only by his teammates but also by his opponents and supporters.
Vialli played 59 times for Italy having made his debut in 1985, starting his career at lowly Cremonese before rising to prominence during a brilliant stint at Sampdoria and then Juventus and Chelsea, where he was a successful player and coach, winning European and domestic honours. .
He was the identikit striker of his time, powerful and mobile but also capable of grace and skill, skilled in the air and on the ground as he quickly emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Vialli was comfortable in the middle but was also very effective in the wider areas, a testament to his versatility and game intelligence.
Vialli became a legendary figure at Sampdoria, where he formed a powerful attacking partnership with Roberto Mancini. It was a lifelong friendship that saw him part of the coach’s backroom staff when Italy won Euro 2020, beating England on penalties in the final at Wembley .
The pair were known as ‘I Gemelli del Gol’ – ‘the goal twins’ – as the club embarked on what was then an unprecedented period of success.
At Sampdoria he was a key part of the side that won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1990, Vialli scoring both extra-time goals in the 2-0 win over Anderlecht in Gothenburg.
He then led from the front as Sampdoria won their first Serie A title in 1990/91, but was bitterly disappointed when they lost the 1992 European Cup final to Barcelona at Wembley in a game settled by Ronald Koeman’s famous free kick in extra time. During this period, Sampdoria also won the Coppa Italia three times.
It was perhaps inevitable that Juventus would come calling and it proved to be as, after 141 goals in eight seasons, he moved to Turin for a world-record fee of £12m, where further success followed. monitoring.
Under Italy’s great coach and future World Cup winner Marcello Lippi, Vialli became an even more complete player, improving physically and technically, playing a vital role in what became one of the great Italian club teams.
Vialli was part of the Juve side that won the UEFA Cup in 1993 with a 6-1 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund over two legs. He almost won the treble in 1995, but Juve lost the UEFA Cup final to Parma in a season when they won the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia.
He ended his time at Juve on the highest peak when he captained ‘The Old Lady’ to victory in the 1996 Champions League final, beating Ajax 4-2 on penalties in Rome .
Vialli then joined Chelsea on a free transfer as part of Ruud Gullit’s restart of the West London giants. quickly settling into city life where he would be happy to settle long after he left Stamford Bridge.
Once again, Vialli gained instant popularity with his genius and modest approach to football and life despite the success and status his talent had earned him.
Vialli had enjoyed his early days at Chelsea and was only a late substitute for compatriot Gianfranco Zola when he beat Middlesbrough in the 1997 FA Cup final.
Chelsea owner Ken Bates gambled on 33-year-old player-coach Vialli when things went wrong for Gullit in early 1998, but the rewards have been rich. Within months, he filled both roles in the side that won the European Cup Winners’ Cup by beating VfB Stuttgart in Stockholm through a goal from Zola.
They had already won the League Cup beating Middlesbrough 2-0 at Wembley as Vialli embarked on a spell that will cement him forever in Chelsea folklore.
Vialli’s Chelsea also won the European Super Cup against Champions League holders Real Madrid before retiring from playing duties to focus solely on management.
He scored one last big win when Chelsea beat Aston Villa to win the FA Cup at Wembley in May 2000, but Vialli was sacked after an indifferent start the following season.
He returned to Premier League management at Watford, but it never seemed comfortable and he was sacked after an unsatisfactory season at Vicarage Road.
The Italian’s wisdom and engaging personality made him a natural expert and his perspective on the game was often sought after.
He was a familiar figure on the Italian bench during the delayed 2020 European Championships in the Italian team’s smart suit, his beaming smile in victory a regular sight.
It can now be remembered as a poignant and very moving scene when the two greats Vialli and Mancini, so different in personality but so alike in many other respects and bound by football and true friendship, stood in a long tearful embrace on the Wembley Lawn after the victory.
Many tears will be shed for Gianluca Vialli, but he was a player, manager and person who will also be remembered with smiles, love and affection.
