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LONDON. — Gianluca Vialli, who has died aged 58, was a footballing popstar. Italian football will be left in mourning after the passing of its ”Lion King”. How sad that a man who makes you fall in love with football passes so young.
If we wanted to summarise Vialli’s career we could do it with that heartwarming hug after the victory in the 2021 European Championship final — in that embrace with Roberto Mancini there was love and friendship between two brothers of different mothers who lived a huge slice of their life together.
Gianluca — one of the few men to hold the role of player-manager at a top club during his time with Chelsea — could reportedly be a prickly and snobbish man but he was full of heart and emotion.
His greatest merit was to show his face to everyone while in pain by teaching dignity and respect because the disease he suffered with is not something to be ashamed of.
Vialli wouldn’t want any tears at his funeral and would be angry if he could see them slipping down the cheeks of his fans.
He always smiled, always hid the pain and melancholy of the pancreatic cancer he suffered with because for him life was a continuous dance between a football match and dinner.
Speaking on his battle with cancer last year summed up that trait perfectly.
“I was a player and a strong man but also a fragile one and I think someone who might recognise himself. I’m here with my flaws, fears and desire to do something important.
“I’m not having a battle with cancer because I don’t think I’d be able to win it, it’s a much stronger opponent me. Cancer is an unwanted travel companion, but I can’t help it.
“He got on the train with me and I have to go on, travel with my head down, never giving up, hoping that one day this unwanted guest will get tired and let me live peacefully for many more years because there are still many things I want to do.”
He loved jokes and loved to laugh, like when he hid a piece of soft cheese in Arrigo Sacchi’s handkerchief at the training camp of the Italian team, laughing at his coach’s outrage.
The former Italian football star is a character who transcends generations — he has made young and old fall in love, he has created unity where previously there was a divide, managing to bring everything together with his shining eyes and his beautiful smile.
During his career, Vialli played with some of the greatest players of all time.
From Baggio to Del Piero, from Desailly to Ciro Ferrara, from Mihajlovic to Peruzzi, from Vierchowod to Cerezo and he gave each of them a small part of his happy and passionate world, of his fast and exciting way of life by entering their hearts.
Vialli was a tamer of emotions who knew how to handle problems and people and who was able to look cancer in the face, laughing and crying with him.
Vialli’s legacy is not only sporting but also spiritual because he embraced the disease by simply trying to do all he could while suffering.
Very soon he realised he couldn’t fight it but had to learn to live with it for as long as possible.
Vialli was such an intelligent man as to understand that the fight had to be on the pitch to win a game, but outside the green grass it was enough to have patience and a lot of attention in dealing with problems.
Ten per cent of life consists of unpredictable events, the remaining 90 per cent is a gym where you learn to deal with unpleasant events.
Vialli decided to cut his hair out of respect and love for his teammate Andrea Fortunato, who fell ill with Leukemia when they both played for Juventus. This was Vialli – a man of few words but of very significant and profound gestures.
When Juventus returned to winning Scudetto number 23, with his superb performance at the ‘Delle Alpi’ in the 4-0 win against Parma, after one goal he ran to embrace a young ball boy who had approached him to celebrate. — Mailonline.
Online Reporter