Former Italy and Chelsea striker Gianluca Vialli passed away at 58 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, his former club Sampdoria announced on Friday. 

Vialli was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer for the first time in 2017 and again in 2021, shortly after Italy’s Euro 2020 victory.

Vialli left his role as a coach with Italy in December, citing the need for treatment for the disease. Before joining Chelsea in 1996, Vialli played for Cremonese, Sampdoria, and Juventus.

Following the departure of Ruud Gullit as Blues player-manager in 1998, he led the club to glory in the League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, and UEFA Super Cup that year. “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,” Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali said in an official statement.

Vialli, who was born in Cremona, began his playing career with local side Cremonese, where he guided his team to promotion to Serie B before attracting interest from clubs higher up Italy’s footballing food chain. Sampdoria recognised his obvious talent and formed a fruitful partnership with Roberto Mancini in 1984, earning the pair the moniker “The Goal Twins” as they inspired a historic Serie A title triumph in 1990-91.

Vialli also won three Italian Cups and the European Cup Winners’ Cup with Samp, as well as reaching the 1992 European Cup final, before joining Juventus for a record-breaking £12.5 million fee. Another Serie A title, the Italian Cup, and the UEFA Cup were won in Turin, but the undisputed highlight of a four-year stint with the Bianconeri was defeating Ajax in the 1996 Champions League final.

At the international level, Vialli claimed 59 caps for Italy - scoring 16 goals - and was named in the team of the tournament at Euro ‘88 and powered Italy to the World Cup semi-finals on home soil in 1990. (ANI)