Serie A has lost a modern legend with the passing of Gianluca Vialli, someone who was a fan favourite at every stage of his career.
The former striker broke through a local side Cremonese in 1980, quickly making a name for himself with his reliability and instinct for goal. After four years with his hometown club, Vialli made one of the most important moves of his career, signing for Sampdoria.
On the Ligurian coast, Vialli rediscovered his boyhood friend Roberto Mancini and the pair formed an unforgettable partnership at Sampdoria, earning the nickname ‘the goal twins’. The duo guided the Blucerchiati to their most successful ever period, picking up their first ever Scudetto, three Coppa Italia titles and a second-place finish in the European Cup.
After an incredible eight-year spell with Sampdoria, Vialli joined Juventus in 1992 for a then world-record fee of £12.5m. After a slow start, the Cremona-born forward became a key player in Turin, helping them win a Scudetto and the Champions League in 1996.
The final three years of his career were spent with Chelsea, where he earnt the love of the fans in West London. Vialli was briefly player-manager of the club before hanging up his boots to focus on his coaching role in 1999.
Vialli stepped away from the dugout after a brief spell with Watford and worked as a pundit on Italian television before joining Mancini’s Italy set-up in October 2019 as the new delegation chief. He was a key part of the team that won Euro 2020, being an important role model for the players and working well with his childhood friend.
Vialli was a much-beloved figure in the world of Italian football and his death at the age of 58 will long be felt in the peninsula.