Italy team co-ordinator Gianluca Vialli has been talking about his on-going battle with cancer, admitting he is ‘scared of death, but also in a sense excited to discover what happens.’
The 57-year-old was a striker at Cremonese, Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea until his retirement in 1999.
He went on to work as coach at Chelsea and Watford, while from November 2019 has been part of his old Sampdoria teammate Roberto Mancini’s staff for the Italy squad, winning UEFA EURO 2020.
Throughout that tournament, he was dealing with cancer and continues to fight off the disease with an inspiring philosophical approach to his life, and how it might end.
“I am scared of death, naturally, and I don’t know what happens on the other side when the light goes out, but in a sense I’m excited to discover what happens,” Vialli told Netflix Italia documentary ‘Una Semplice Domanda.’
“There is the anxiety that I cannot finish all the things I want to do, but that helps you appreciate and understand life too. I feel very fortunate.”
Vialli played a huge part in inspiring the Azzurri players during the Euros last summer, acting as confidant, mentor and giving team talks along with coach Mancini.
He acknowledges that he was a bit of a playboy in his younger life and during his playing career, but has embraced the lessons taught by his illness.
“This illness is not exclusively suffering, as there are some wonderful moments too. Life – I didn’t come up with this, but I absolutely share it – is 20 per cent what happens and 80 per cent the way you react to events.
“Illness can teach you a great deal about the person you are, it can also be an opportunity. Mind you, I’m not going so far as to say I’m grateful to cancer…”
#Vialli torna a parlare della malattiahttps://t.co/2w6vHVQh5Y
— CalcioNews24.com (@CalcioNews24) March 9, 2022
True great, he’ll keep fighting as he did every football match I watched him in.
Luca is a legend. He can conquer anything.