FORMER Italy international Gianluca Villa has died at the of 58 after a battle with cancer.
The former striker, who played for and managed Chelsea, passed away today, it has been confirmed.
Vialli, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer five years ago, played for and managed Chelsea, scoring 40 goals in 88 games between 1996 and 1999.
He won three major trophies during his time at Stamford Bridge, after he took over as a player-manager in 1998 winning the League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in his first few months in charge.
Before joining Chelsea, Vialli was very successful in Italy, winning every trophy possible in his country’s club football while playing for both Sampdoria and Juventus.
He broke the world record transfer fee in 1992 when he moved from Sampdoria to Juventus for £12.5 million.
As an international, Vialli won 59 caps for Italy, scoring 16 goals and appearing in both the 1986 and 1990 World Cups.
He was part of Roberto Mancini’s coaching crew with the Italy team as they won the European Championships in 2021, having been cleared of cancer in 2020.
He was re-diagnosed with the disease in 2021 and announced in December that he had stepped down from his role in Italy’s national team.
Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported before Christmas that Vialli’s 87-year-old mother Maria Teresa and brother Nino had travelled to be with him in a London hospital.
He is survived by his wife and daughters.
