Italian soccer star Gianluca Vialli, 58, dies of cancer

Former Chelsea and Juventus star Gianluca Vialli died Thursday at age 58 after a second bout with pancreatic cancer, his family announced.

Vialli was first diagnosed in 2017 and again in 2021.

“Gianluca was a wonderful person and leaves an unfillable void, in the national team and in all those who appreciated his extraordinary human qualities,” said Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina.

Vialli participated in two World Cups: 1986 in Mexico and 1990 on home soil, where Italy won a bronze medal.

In 1992, he was transferred to Juventus for a then-record 12.5 million Euros, where he won the Italian Cup (he won three), the Serie A, the Italian Supercup, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup. He was a player-manager for Chelsea in 1998 and 1999 and joined Chelsea on a free transfer in 1996. He managed the club for another year before going to Watford for a year.

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His 275 goals in all levels of professional play (both club and international) are the 10th most in Italian history.

He is one of nine players, and the only forward, to have won the three main European club competitions. He also is the only player to have had both first- and second-place finishes in all three main European club competitions.

He was the delegation chief of the Italy national team from October 2019 to December 2021, and retired due to his cancer battle. Italy won the 2020 UEFA Euros over England.