Roberto Mancini met Gianluca Vialli for the last time on December 29: ‘We talked about everything, he wanted to know the latest developments of the Italy project.’
Vialli died of pancreatic cancer on January 6 in London. He was admitted to the Royal Marsden Hospital in December after he had resigned as Italy’s delegation chief.
“He was powerless, with little voice, but very lucid,” Mancini told Gazzetta, speaking about his last meeting with Vialli.
“We talked a bit about everything, he even asked me about the get-together in December with the youths. He wanted to know the developments of the project.”
Vialli and Mancini were best friends. Known as the ‘twins of goal’. They won Sampdoria‘s first and only Serie A title in 1990-91, losing a Champions League Final against Barcelona at Wembley Stadium.
Many years later, they took their revenge in the same stadium, winning the Euros with Italy beating England on penalties.
“Luca was smiling, we joked. I told him that he was earning more than me at Sampdoria, the President was paying him more than me,” continued Vialli, speaking to Il Corriere dello Sport.
“A few days after Sinisa’s farewell, I lose another brother, a little brother, as I liked to call him.
“We met when we were 16 and we never split. The entire journey together. Azzurri’s youth sector, national team, Samp, joys and pain, victories and defeats. Those two nights at Wembley. Once we cried with sadness and bitterness, many years ago. The other time, we cried with joy, as we were united by destiny, before his death.
“Gianluca was the best of us, a complete striker, a perfect and courageous man,” the Italy CT continued.
VIALLI’S LESSONS IN HIS LAST INTERVIEW: ‘THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS’
“I’ve long hoped he could become the President of Sampdoria, he would have opened an extraordinary history, as when he was a footballer. It was a privilege to be his friend and a teammate in football and life.
“I thank President Gravina who wanted him in the national team. He made me happy. He had a decisive role in the victory of the Euros. Players loved him. Gianluca had the strength and gave us the courage we didn’t know we had which he used to fight the illness, staying with us until he could.
“I say goodbye to another brother, after Sinisa. With his strength, I’ll go forward to dedicate to him something relevant, which we’ve been dreaming of for a lifetime.”
Vialli inspired Italy’s Euro 2020 victory with his motivational speeches which also Giorgio Chiellini and Federico Bernardeschi remembered on Friday night.
Vialli was appointed as Italy’s delegation chief in October 2019 and kept his role until last December, when he resigned to continue treatment.
i can feel for mancini. after sinisa and now vialli.