The whole of Italy is saying goodbye to him with great pain, millions throughout the British Isles also want to pay him their last respects, but Gianluca Vialli’s funeral today will be held in London in a private, limited and modest format, in complete contrast to the popularity and great admiration that the Italian star enjoyed in his lifetime.
This funeral, from which his many fans will be absent, symbolizes perhaps more than anything else who Viali was – a huge star that everyone adored, but also a sociable person who helped others, was liked by everyone and knew how to manage his private life. His death at the end of last week at the age of 58 after a long battle with cancer, caused great sadness in the football world and especially in his native Italy.
It is not only for the old fans of Sampdoria, Juventus, Chelsea and the Italian national team that it is difficult to say goodbye to him. Anyone who watched soccer matches in the 80s and 90s remembers with nostalgia the dynamic, energetic and determined striker who was not only an outstanding scorer, but also scored a lot of goals and cooperated with his friends who enjoyed his team nature.
Viali, who was able to play both as a striker and as a play-making front midfielder and also stood out in his breakthroughs on the wings as a winger, controlled the ball and overcame his guards. His body deceptions, speed, ability to pass, lifts and accurate and strong kicks and strikes made him one of the most outstanding players of his generation.
“Looks like a cartoon, we called him Mickey Mouse”
Gianluca Vialli was far from the common story of a footballer who grew up in the slums and rose from the slums to fame. He was born to a millionaire father (owner of a construction company) on July 9, 1964, grew up in welfare conditions in the city of Cremona in northern Italy and as a child tried to play basketball together with his older brother Mapo (three other brothers grew up in the family – Nino, Marco and Mila). His physical education teacher at school, Angelo Scaglionirecalled the curly and thin boy: “Luka was kind and happy and looked like a cartoon, we called him Mickey Mouse.”
Soon Viali discovered that his talent in football was greater than what he had in basketball and in the city they remember the boy who used to gather with his friends and kick balls at the walls of the local garages. He started playing for Carmona in 1978 and two years later moved up to its senior team, while it was playing in the lower leagues.
Vialli made his debut in the third division when he was 16 years old and was promoted with Cremonese to Serie B. His coach at the time, Emiliano Mondonico who passed away in 2018, is considered a man who greatly influenced his career and his daughter Clara kept in touch with Vialli until his death.
“I haven’t cried since my father died,” she said Clara“But now I burst into tears. For me Luka was a friend and a great man. I remember how he and my father used to laugh. Dad would say to him ‘thanks to me you reached these levels’ and Luka replied to him ‘thanks to me you can say you coached great players’. Dad called him ‘ Bambin’ and always treated him like the boy from Carmonza whom he discovered.”
In 1984 Vialli reached the top league in Italy when he was bought by Sampdoria and soon became one of its stars. The intelligent player, who knew how to create situations near the opponents’ goals, also stood out thanks to his charismatic nature and the influence he had on his teammates. Beyond that, he was also a fighter who did not give up anything and as a result was called “the fighter”. His friends remember well how he used to say: “If you give up once in your life, it becomes a habit.”
Vialli played for Sampdoria for eight years, winning a historic championship with them in 1991 under the guidance of Serbian coach Viadin Boškov, while he himself finished as the league goalscorer with 19 goals, in three Italian Cups (1985, 1988 and 1989) and in the European Cup Holders Cup in 1990 (scoring a double 0:2 over Anderlecht in the final in overtime). In addition, he qualified with the team in 1992 for the final of the European Champions Cup where they lost 1:0 to Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona (Ronald Koeman’s tremendous free kick goal in extra time) and recorded a total of 141 caps in 328 games.
In those years Viali became famous not only for his personal ability, but also for his successful collaboration with Roberto Mancini. Together the two formed one of the best striker pairs in the history of Italy known as “I gemelli del gol” (the goal twins). Both of them not only cooperated together on the court, but also became close friends who were seen next to each other in training and after.
I remember very well one of the interviews the two gave to Italian television during the championship season, in which Vialli said to the laughter of his friends: “When Roberto doesn’t play, the guys are disappointed because they claim they don’t have fun, but when I don’t play, they are disappointed because they don’t win.”
Mancini Parting now in tears: “I was hoping for a miracle, I lost a brother and a friend. It’s a big loss for me and for Italian football. We talked the last few days and he was joking and in a good mood as always. It made it easier for me to see him like that.” Roberto Mancini’s mother, Mariana, said: “Luca is like a son to me. The pain is enormous and I can’t describe how his family feels.” A Sampdoria fan tied a scarf of the club on the fence of the London hospital where Viali was hospitalized and wrote: “Thank you for everything you gave us.”
Most of all, Sampdoria fans mourn. “You have given us so much and we have given you too,” the club’s statement read. “It was an endless mutual love that will never die together with you. We will continue to love and adore you. As you know – you were our hero, better than Pele.”
Former Scottish midfielder and coach Graham Sones, who collaborated with him in “Tricolor”, remembers very well how they used to joke. In one case, Sons pushed Viali into the lake while wearing a suit and the Italian “retaliated” when he sprayed shaving foam into his shoes and sprinkled itching powder in his pants.
“It’s hard for me to describe how good Gianluca was,” he said Sons in tears “Leave football – he was a stunning soul. A wonderful and warm human being. His children were blessed by having such a father and his wife by having such a man.”
past relationship Giuseppe Dossanawho won the historic championship with Viali and Mancini, recalled: “It was very easy to love him, he was polite and a monster of empathy. We spent whole days together and I have many memories of him. He was wise, intelligent and shrewd. He served as an example of how you can be selfish But with kindness, because he thought about himself, but he was dedicated to the team. Everyone wanted to be his friend and on the field he was always in the right place and at the right time.”
Del Piero: “Vialli was sensitive and exuded confidence”
In the summer of 1992, Vialli moved to Juventus for 12.5 million pounds (a world record at the time) and also recorded unforgettable moments and title wins in their ranks. In his first season, he won the UEFA Cup with them after a victory over Borussia Dortmund (1:3 away and 0:3 at home) in the pair of finals.
In 1995, he won the Italian double with the Bianconeri while scoring 22 goals in all competitions and reached the UEFA Cup final with them, where they lost to Parma. In his last season in Juve’s uniform (1995/96), he won the Champions League with the team for the last time in its history after defeating Ajax on penalties in the final ( 1:1 at the end of 120 minutes).
In doing so, Viali became one of the few to win all three titles in European club football. In those years, Juve’s forward section, which also included Alessandro Del Piero and Fabrizio Rabanelli, was considered the deadliest. “Our captain, my captain, always,” said goodbye to him Del Piero. “He and Roberto Baggio influenced me a lot. Gianluca was a sensitive guy who radiated confidence, but was also able to share his concerns with others.”
Andrea Tacconi, the son of former Juve goalkeeper Stefano Tacconi, whose health has deteriorated since suffering a stroke last May, wrote: “You remained brave even when you suffered. Even in your condition you sent my father a video to strengthen him. Thank you very much on his behalf, we will never forget you.” . Juve’s former defender, Gianluca Pesuto: “You were our guide, we will never forget you.”
“The English gentleman from Italy, added glamor to the Premier League”
In the summer of 1996 Viali joined Chelsea and under the guidance of Rod Hulit won the FA Cup with the team in his first season. Also in the Premier League he provided unforgettable performances such as the four against Barnsley and the hat-trick against the Norwegian Tromsø in the Cup Holders. Despite this, he was not considered a regular team player and after Hulit was fired in February 1998, Viali was appointed as his replacement and served as player-manager.
“Vialy added to the Premier League a glamor it needed,” the Sun recalled of the stylist who mastered English, acclimated well and added an international flavor to a league that was captive to conservatism until the 1990s. “He knew how to win and also enjoy life,” it was written about the star who used to visit the theater halls and eat in Italian restaurants.
Seven years before his arrival at the club, the “Blues” played in the minor league, did not win any title since 1955 and struggled to survive during the period when Ken Bates was the owner. In the newspaper ‘The Athletic’ they described him under the title: “The English gentleman made in Italy”. Sons: “Viali spoke good English, but he twisted proverbs and it was hard for people in England to get used to it.”
Prime Minister: “Viali, the king of lions on the field and in life”
Vialli played in the Italian national team from 1985 to 1992 and scored 16 goals in 59 games. He became famous already when he appeared at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico where his team was eliminated in the round of 16 with a 2:0 loss to France.
In Euro 1988, the coach Azelio Vicini presented a quality combination that combined youngsters like Paolo Maldini who had come up from the national team under the age of 21 with the older ones like Alessandro Altobelli, Carlo Ancelotti and Franco Barzi. The Squadra Azura reached the semi-finals where they lost 2:0 to the Soviet Union and that tournament is considered the arena where Viali made his big breakthrough in the national uniform.
After the 1:1 draw with host West Germany in the first game, the Italians met Spain in Frankfurt. Vialli’s spectacular break into the box after receiving a pass from Eltoveli and mistaking the Spanish defender Thomas Reniones, and the goal he scored in the same move with a precise left-footed kick into the net of Andoni Zubizarta entered the classics of the tournament.
Viali also started the 1990 World Cup in Italy in a successful way when he collected the ball for Salvatore (“Toto”) Scilacci, which the substitute striker hit into the net in the 0:1 victory over Andy Herzog’s Austria in the first game. He then missed a penalty in a 0:1 victory over the USA, lost his place in the lineup and returned in a penalty shootout loss to Argentina in the semi-finals (1:1 at the end of 120 minutes). He was responsible for the goal scored by the Italians in the semi-finals when Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Guicoccia deflected his kick Before Scilacci scored from the rebound.
After that, Italy failed in the qualifiers for Euro 1992 and did not qualify for the final tournament in Sweden. Vialli did not play in the 1994 World Cup where the Squadra Azura reached the final and lost to Brazil on penalties due to a dispute with coach Arrigo Sacchi.
Prime Minister of Italy Georgia Maloney, tweeted: “To God Gianluca Vialli – the king of the lions on the field and in life.” The headlines of the newspapers read “The brilliant friend”, “A hug forever”, “The brother of Italy”, “Thank you for everything” and “Goodbye brave champion”.
Viali’s short coaching career was also successful. Under his guidance, Chelsea won the Cup Holders (at the age of 33 he became the youngest manager in history to win a European title, a record that lasted until 2011) and the League Cup (1998) and the FA Cup in 2000 and finished the 1998/99 season in third place in the Premier League with four points less From the champion Manchester United (its best achievement in the league since 1970 until then). At the end of that season, Viali ended his career as a player.
In 2000, Viali reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League with Chelsea (eliminated by Barcelona) and finished fifth in the league. He was fired from his position after five games in the 2000/01 season, managed to coach Watford in the English minor league for one season in 2002 and never returned to coaching clubs. “Even after he left the club, Viali remained one of ours,” read a statement published by Chelsea. “He was a central pillar during the period when the club became decorated.”
The pioneer of the English past Chris Sutton Recalls: “Even when he was at the end of his career, Viali raised the standards of investment in training. As a coach he was perfect. He must have been disappointed in me, but he never showed it and I will always have respect for him for that. I had a hard time and lost my confidence, but he gave me time and tried to help me. He would work with me on improving the technique of kicking from the air. When I left Chelsea and moved to Celtic (collaborated with Eyal Berkovic) I was able to score like that and I would never have been able to do it without his help.”
Even after he stopped being an artist, Viali continued to live in London, served as a football commentator, wrote a book in the early 2000s that dealt with the difference between Italian and English football and married interior designer Catherine White Cooper in 2003. The couple had two daughters, Olivia and Sofia. He used to participate in golf competitions, his favorite sport.
In recent years, after he fell ill with cancer in 2017, Vialli served as the manager of the Italian national team, which was coached by his good friend Mancini at Euro 2021. He later resigned from his position due to his illness, which he was unable to overcome.
Marco Lana, the president of Sampdoria and its former defender during the Viali era, revealed that talks are underway to hold a tournament in his memory with the participation of the four teams he played for during his career. The municipality of Carmona declared a day of mourning and the flags in the municipality building were lowered to half-mast.
Before leaving the world, Viali left a message. In the last interview he gave for a film about him that will be broadcast on Netflix, he said: “I am convinced that our children follow the examples we give them more than any words we say. I know I will not die of old age and feel fragile, and it makes me wonder if this is the right thing I am showing my daughters. In that sense I try to be a positive example, and tell them that happiness depends on the perspective in which you look at life. I explain to them that they should talk less and listen more in order to improve each day, laugh a lot and help others. For me, this is the secret of happiness.”
