Gianluca Vialli: Chelsea Legend Dies After Long Battle With Cancer

• Former Chelsea and Juventus striker Gianluca Vialli has passed on after succumbing to pancreatic cancer
• Vialli was a celebrated striker during his days when he won a couple of cups in Italy and in England
• He later on served as a manager at Chelsea and Watford before serving under Roberto Mancini in Italy

Chelsea and Italy legend Gianluca Vialli has died at the age of 58 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Vialli was first diagnosed with cancer in 2017 but recovered fully in 2020. He however relapsed last year with his condition deteriorating quickly.

He built his career during his time at Sampdoria where he won the Serie A title, UEFA Cup and three Italian cups. He also played for Juventus where he won the Champions League.

Vialli, who played as a striker, joined Chelsea in 1996 scoring 40 goals in over 80 appearances. He won the FA Cup, UEFA Cup Winners Cup and the League Cup in England. He, later on, served as a player-manager at Chelsea.

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Until recently, he was an assistant to Roberto Mancini in the Italian team setup. He was part of the Italian triumph at the rescheduled Euro 2022 games at Wembley.

He becomes the latest football personality to pass on in recent weeks after the deaths of Sinisa Mihajlovic and Pele.

The Daily Mail reports that he was surrounded by his family members at the time of his death. Chelsea FC have eulogized him as follows:

"You’ll be missed by so many. A legend to us and to all of football. Rest in peace, Gianluca Vialli. "

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Pele, football's first global icon, passed away on Thursday, December 29 after a long battle with cancer. Since the death of the man once described as a 'non-exportable national treasure', a bucketload of tributes have poured in from world leaders, sports personalities and fans alike.

Hundreds of people, including FIFA president Gianni Infantino, stormed the stadium of Santos to pay their last respect to the icon during a 24-hour public wake. However, the same cannot be said about Brazil star Neymar who was not in attendance.