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Gianluca Vialli
OMRI

Vialli in 2017

Personal information

Full name

Gianluca Vialli

Date of birth

9 July 1964

Place of birth

Cremona, Italy

Date of death

6 January 2023 (aged 58)

Place of death

London, England

Height

1.80 m

Playing position

Striker

Youth career

1973–1978

Pizzighettone

1978–1980

Cremonese

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

1980–1984

Cremonese

105

(23)

1984–1992

Sampdoria

223

(85)

1992–1996

Juventus

102

(38)

1996–1999

Chelsea

(21)

Total

488

(167)

National team

1983–1986

Italy U21

(11)

1985–1992

Italy

(16)

Teams managed

1998–2000

Chelsea

2001–2002

Watford

2019–2022

Italy (assistant)

Honours

Men's football

Representing Italy
FIFA World Cup
Third	1990 Italy

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

Gianluca Vialli (born 9 July 1964 – died 6 January 2023) was a famous Italian football player and manager. He was known as a powerful striker who scored many goals.

Vialli began his club career in 1980 at his hometown club, Cremonese. He played 105 league games and scored 23 goals there. His great performances caught the eye of Sampdoria, who signed him in 1984.

At Sampdoria, he scored 85 league goals. He helped the team win three Italian Cups, the Serie A league title, and the European Cup Winners' Cup.

In 1992, Vialli moved to Juventus for a world record fee of £12.5 million. While at Juventus, he won the Italian Cup, Serie A, the Italian Supercup, the UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Cup.

In 1996, Vialli joined Chelsea. The next season, he became their player-manager (meaning he played and managed the team). In England, he won the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and UEFA Super Cup.

He is one of only nine footballers to have won the three main European club competitions. He is also the only forward to have achieved this.

Vialli played for the Italian national team in two FIFA World Cups: in 1986 and in 1990 (which was held in Italy). He also played in UEFA Euro 1988, helping Italy reach the semi-finals. He was even chosen for the tournament's best team.

During his 20-year career as a professional footballer, he scored 259 goals for his clubs. He also scored 16 goals for the national team and 11 goals for the Italy under-21 team. This makes him one of the highest-scoring Italian players ever.

After he stopped playing, Vialli became a manager and later a TV pundit (a sports expert who gives opinions). He worked as a commentator for Sky Italia. He was also part of the Italy national team's staff as a delegation chief when they won UEFA Euro 2020. He stepped down from this role shortly before he passed away from cancer.

Club Career Highlights
Managerial Career
- Leading Chelsea to Trophies
- Time at Watford
International Career
His Playing Style
Beyond the Pitch
Personal Life and Legacy
Honours
- Player
- Manager
- Orders
Images for kids
See also

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Cremonese

Vialli's professional football journey began in 1980. He signed with his local club, Cremonese, which was in Serie C1 (a lower league). He helped them get promoted to Serie B (a higher league). After scoring ten goals as a winger in the 1983–84 Serie B season, he moved to Sampdoria.

Success with Sampdoria

At Sampdoria, Vialli formed a fantastic attacking partnership with his friend Roberto Mancini. They were nicknamed 'The Goal Twins' (I Gemelli del Gol in Italian). With Vialli playing his best, Sampdoria had their most successful period ever.

They won their first ever Serie A championship in the 1990–91 season. Vialli was the league's top scorer that year with 19 goals. He often celebrated his goals with a cool backflip! He also scored both goals in the European Cup Winners' Cup final in 1990, helping Sampdoria win 2–0 against Anderlecht. He was also the top scorer in that tournament.

The team also won three Italian Cups (in 1985, 1988, and 1989). Vialli even set a record by scoring 13 goals in one Italian Cup competition. They also won a Supercoppa Italiana and reached the European Cup final in 1992. They lost that final 1–0 to Johan Cruyff's Barcelona "Dream Team."

Winning Big with Juventus

After the 1992 European Cup final, Vialli moved to Juventus. He was bought for a world record fee of £12.5 million. In his first season with Juventus, Vialli won the UEFA Cup. He played alongside other great players like Roberto Baggio and Paolo Di Canio.

Under their new manager Marcello Lippi, Vialli worked hard to get even fitter and stronger. He regained his goalscoring form and became a key leader for the team. He helped Juventus win the Scudetto (the Italian league title) and the Italian Cup in 1995, scoring 16 goals.

He finished his time at Juventus by captaining the team to a Supercoppa Italiana victory. He also led them to a Champions League final win against AFC Ajax in 1996. During his four seasons with Juventus, he played 102 games and scored 38 goals.

Becoming a Legend at Chelsea

Vialli joined Chelsea in the summer of 1996 for free. He quickly settled into life in London. In his first season, Chelsea won the FA Cup. Vialli scored two goals in a thrilling 4–2 comeback win against Liverpool.

During the 1997–98 season, Vialli scored four goals in a league game against Barnsley. He also scored a hat-trick (three goals) against Tromsø in the Cup Winners' Cup.

In early 1998, Chelsea's manager Ruud Gullit left, and Vialli took over as player-manager. He led Chelsea to win the Cup Winners' Cup and the League Cup that season. He then guided them to a 1–0 victory over UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup.

Vialli stopped playing professional football at the end of the 1998–99 season to focus on being Chelsea's manager. He played his last professional game for Chelsea, scoring the winning goal against Derby County at Stamford Bridge.

Managerial Career

Leading Chelsea to Trophies

When Vialli became Chelsea's player-manager in February 1998, he was only 33 years old. He was the first Italian to manage a team in the Premier League. Chelsea was already in the semi-finals of the League Cup and the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup. Under Vialli, they went on to win both competitions! He became the youngest manager ever to win a UEFA competition at 33 years and 308 days old.

The next season, Chelsea won the UEFA Super Cup by beating Real Madrid 1–0. They also finished third in the Premier League, which was their highest league finish since 1970.

In the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League, Chelsea made their debut in the competition and reached the quarter-finals. They won the first game against Barcelona 3–1, but were eventually knocked out after a tough return game. The season ended well when Vialli led Chelsea to win the 2000 FA Cup final against Aston Villa.

The 2000–01 season started with another trophy for Chelsea: they beat Manchester United to win the Charity Shield. This was Vialli's fifth trophy with the club in less than three years. However, Vialli was sacked five games into the season after a difficult start and disagreements with some players.

Time at Watford

Vialli then became manager of First Division club Watford in 2001–02. Despite bringing in many new players, the team finished 14th, and Vialli was sacked after just one year.

International Career

Vialli (left) playing for Italy against Brazil in 1989.

Vialli played for Italy's under-21 team in 1984 and 1986. He played 20 times for the U21 team and scored 11 goals. He was also the top scorer in the 1986 Under-21 European Championship.

In 1985, Vialli played his first game for the senior Italian national team. He was part of Italy's squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. He played as a substitute in all four of Italy's matches.

Vialli scored his first goal for Italy in 1986 during a qualifier for UEFA Euro 1988. He was in Italy's squad for the Euro 1988 tournament and scored the winning goal against Spain. Even though Italy lost in the semi-finals, Vialli was named in UEFA's team of the tournament.

For the 1990 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Italy, Vialli was expected to be a star for the home team. However, he missed a penalty against the United States and was later replaced in the starting team by Roberto Baggio and Salvatore Schillaci. Vialli returned for the semi-final against Argentina, but Italy lost on penalties. Italy finished the tournament in third place.

Vialli continued to lead Italy's attack in qualifiers for Euro 1992, scoring against Hungary and Cyprus. However, Italy did not qualify for the tournament.

Vialli played his last game for Italy in December 1992. He had a difficult relationship with coach Arrigo Sacchi, which ended his international career early. Overall, Vialli played 59 games for Italy and scored 16 goals.

His Playing Style

Vialli was considered one of the best Italian strikers of his time. He was a complete and versatile forward who could play anywhere in attack. He was often played on the wing or in a deeper, supporting role. However, he preferred to play as a main striker in the centre. This allowed him to use his great movement and goalscoring ability inside the box.

He was a strong goalscorer, known for his powerful and accurate shots with both feet and his head. This meant he could score from both inside and outside the penalty area. Vialli was also good at setting up chances for his teammates because of his good vision and smart play. He had good technical skills, dribbling ability, and ball control.

Vialli was a quick, hardworking, and energetic player with good pace and physical strength. He was known for pressing opponents to win the ball back. He was seen as a new type of striker in Italian football, combining skill and goalscoring with speed and power. Because he was so athletic and strong, he was also excellent in the air. He loved scoring acrobatic goals from volleys and bicycle kicks. His Juventus manager Marcello Lippi even compared him to the legendary Italian striker Gigi Riva.

Besides his football skills, Vialli was admired for his dedication, leadership, and strong mindset on the field.

Beyond the Pitch

Vialli in 2018.

In 2006, Vialli released a book called The Italian Job: A Journey to the Heart of Two Great Footballing Cultures. He wrote it with his friend and football journalist, Gabriele Marcotti. The book talks about the differences between English and Italian football. Vialli gave all the money from the book to a charity he co-founded called "Fondazione Vialli e Mauro per la ricerca e lo sport." This charity raises money for research into cancer and ALS.

From the late 2000s, Vialli worked as a TV football commentator for Sky Italia. He also appeared as an expert for the BBC during UEFA Euro 2012.

Vialli also co-founded Tifosy, a sports investment platform. The idea was to allow regular fans and investors to invest in professional sports clubs.

In October 2019, Vialli was appointed the new delegation chief for the Italy national football team. This meant he helped manage the team alongside his good friend and former teammate, Roberto Mancini, who was the head coach. On 11 July 2021, Italy won UEFA Euro 2020 after beating England in the final on penalties.

Personal Life and Legacy

Gianluca Vialli grew up in a large, 60-room castle in Cremona, Italy, with his four siblings. His father was a self-made millionaire. Vialli married Cathryn White-Cooper on 26 August 2003, and they had two daughters, Olivia and Sofia. He loved playing golf and continued to live in London for many years after leaving Chelsea.

In November 2018, Vialli shared that he had successfully fought pancreatic cancer for a year. He was treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. In April 2020, he was given the all-clear, meaning he was free of cancer. However, in December 2021, he announced that the disease had returned. Gianluca Vialli passed away on 6 January 2023, at the Royal Marsden Hospital, at the age of 58.

Vialli is remembered as a talented footballer, a successful manager, and a kind person who inspired many.