How Vialli inspired Italy’s Euro 2020 victory

Gianluca Vialli has temporarily stepped down as Italy’s delegation chief and Lorenzo Bettoni looks back to how the former striker inspired the Azzurri’s win at Euro 2020 last year.

“At the end of a long and difficult ‘negotiation’ with my wonderful team of oncologists I have decided to suspend, I hope temporarily, my present and future professional commitments,” Vialli told FIGC on Wednesday, announcing his decision to temporarily step back as Italy’s delegation chief. The former Juventus, Sampdoria and Chelsea striker, has been fighting pancreatic cancer since 2017.

Vialli had covered his role with the national team with a unique commitment, supporting his close friend and former teammate Roberto Mancini in joyful and hard times. He was an inspiration to many Azzurri during their winning journey at Euro 2020 and the hug with Mancini after a 2-1 win over Austria in the Round of 16 will forever be remembered as one of the most iconic and touching moments in the history of the competition and Italian football.

Vialli inspired the Azzurri in many different ways during Euro 2020. He was part of a superstitious routine that would see him left behind when the team bus was about to leave Coverciano as if he was forgotten, but the bus would stop a few meters later letting him on.

“He is going to hate me for this, but I say it anyway. He [Vialli] is an example who shows us how to behave, anytime and in any circumstance,” said Alessandro Florenzi, moments after lifting the cup at Wembley Stadium.

Vialli also spoke to the team two days before the Final against England, reading a speech from Theodore Roosevelt.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst.

“If he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Vialli has been one of the best strikers in the history of Italian football and one of the first successful players and coaches abroad.

He scored 123 goals in 325 Serie A games, adding 21 in 58 Premier League matches with Chelsea. He was part, along with Mancini, of the legendary Sampdoria squad that won the Scudetto in 1990-91 and was the last Juventus captain to lift the Champions League in 1996.

His life has been inspiring on and off the pitch. In his book, ‘Goals: Inspirational stories to help tackle life’s challenges’ he described his battle with cancer, which he called ‘an unwelcome travel companion.’

“I am not a warrior. I am not fighting cancer: it’s too strong an enemy and I would not stand a chance. I am a man who is on a journey and cancer has joined me on that journey… my goal is to keep walking, keep moving until he’s had enough and leaves me alone.”

Keep it up, Gianluca. We all want you to see back as soon as possible.

@lorebetto