Former star Italy striker Vialli dies aged 58

Vialli, who enjoyed a stellar career with Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea and earned 59 caps for Italy, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017. He was given the all-clear a year later only for the illness to return.

“I know that I probably will not die of old age, I hope to live as long as possible, but I feel much more fragile than before,” Vialli said in a Netflix documentary aired in March 2022.

He described cancer as “a travel companion” that he hoped would eventually leave him in peace, after testing his mettle. “Illness can teach a lot about who you are, and can push you to go beyond the superficial way in which we live,” he said.

Vialli was however forced to step aside from his role as head of a delegation with the Italian national team last month, saying he needed to focus on overcoming a new phase of his disease.

Working with the Italy squad, Vialli had been reunited with national coach Roberto Mancini, a lifelong friend and strike partner when they both played for Sampdoria, where they were known as “the goal twins.”

Vialli and Mancini led the Italians to the Euro 2020 tournament in 2021, lifting the trophy in Wembley Stadium where, 29 years earlier, their Sampdoria team had lost the European Cup final to Barcelona.

They celebrated last year with a tearful embrace that “was more beautiful than the hugs we used to give each other when I passed him the ball and he scored goals,” Vialli said in a TV interview with Italy’s RAI in November.

MILAN — Former Italian soccer star Gianluca Vialli has died from cancer at the age of 58, his former soccer club Sampdoria said on Friday.

Vialli, who enjoyed a stellar career with Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea and earned 59 caps for Italy, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017. He was given the all-clear a year later only for the illness to return.

“I know that I probably will not die of old age, I hope to live as long as possible, but I feel much more fragile than before,” Vialli said in a Netflix documentary aired in March 2022.

He described cancer as “a travel companion” that he hoped would eventually leave him in peace, after testing his mettle. “Illness can teach a lot about who you are, and can push you to go beyond the superficial way in which we live,” he said.

Vialli was however forced to step aside from his role as head of a delegation with the Italian national team last month, saying he needed to focus on overcoming a new phase of his disease.

Working with the Italy squad, Vialli had been reunited with national coach Roberto Mancini, a lifelong friend and strike partner when they both played for Sampdoria, where they were known as “the goal twins.”

Vialli and Mancini led the Italians to the Euro 2020 tournament in 2021, lifting the trophy in Wembley Stadium where, 29 years earlier, their Sampdoria team had lost the European Cup final to Barcelona.

They celebrated last year with a tearful embrace that “was more beautiful than the hugs we used to give each other when I passed him the ball and he scored goals,” Vialli said in a TV interview with Italy’s RAI in November.

The post Former star Italy striker Vialli dies aged 58 appeared first on Vietexplorer.com.

View more from VietExplorer:

Lao Culture Week in Vietnam opens
Vietnam – Japan Festival 2022 kicks off in Da Nang
Photo exhibition displays national friendship with Laos
Miss Tourism Vietnam 2022 launched
Vietnam names representative to Miss Earth 2022
British boyband Blue set for debut concert in Hanoi
Photos featuring Vietnam’s beauty on display in Laos
Sculpture camp strengthens Vietnam-Laos friendship
Hau Giang sets national record for making strabismus fish-made dishes
Winners of Vietnam Talented Pastry Chef Contest 2021 – 2022 awarded
VN representative wins Mister Supernational Asia 2022
Hanoi hosts exhibition on Iranian art heritage
Mong ethnic people in Son La keep brocade weaving alive
Tet of San Diu ethnic minority
Hin villagers preserve Thai ethnic culture
Xa Phang ethnic minority celebrates arrival of spring
Tet celebration of ethnic groups in northwestern region
La Hu people abandon nomadic life
Mong Culture Festival preserves traditions
Lives of Cong ethnic people in north-western Vietnam

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Young individuals in traditional attire captivate foreigners’ attention in Hanoi

The event, organized by young enthusiasts of Vietnamese traditional costumes, showcased various traditional garments including nhat binh (square-collared garb), ngu than (a five-paneled aristocratic gown from the 19th and early-20th centuries), and ao dai (Vietnam’s traditional long gown), among others, as well as traditional hats. Foreign tourists were impressed by young people dressed in unique and colorful traditional outfits. Many of them used their smartphones or cameras to capture the essence of the event, which was filled with Vietnamese culture. Nguyen Nga, a member of the organizing board, explained that the aim of the event was to promote Vietnamese traditional costumes to the public. While ao dai is already well-known, many people are not familiar with other types of traditional costumes, which are also valuable parts of the country’s heritage, Nga added. Daniel, a British tourist, expressed his excitement when he came across the event during his stroll in Hanoi. It was t...
Read more

Da Lat Flower Festival 2022 to last for two months

The biennial national and international cultural- tourism event, to be organised by the provincial administration, aims to honour horticulture in Da Lat, promote tourism and trade, and call for greater investment in the locality. The 2022 festival is scheduled to start on November 1 and will last through to December 31, with numerous activities to take place across Da Lat – a resort city dubbed Little Paris in Vietnam . Highlights of the occasion include art flower spaces, music programmes, fashion shows, and a hot air balloon festival.  Most notably, the grand final of the Miss Earth Vietnam 2022 pageant is set to take place in Da Lat on December 30. Art flower spaces will open until January 31, 2023, or the 10th day of the first month of the lunar calendar to serve locals and tourists keen to celebrate the Lunar New Year, known locally as Tet. There will also be a fireworks show on the eve of the New Year 2023. The post Da Lat Flower Festival 2022 to last for...
Read more

Phu Quoc to host “Fashion Voyage #5” show in April

The show with the theme “Dating with a Kiss” is set to be organised in Sunset Town, a resort entertainment complex developed by Sun Group. This is the fifth time the group has worked with director Long Kan, the show’s producer, to introduce admirable fashion shows which also helps promote Vietnam’s tourism. A collection with a futuristic style by designer Chung Thanh Phong named “Kiss the Stars” will be staged at the show with multimedia technologies, amidst the majestic sea and sky, the combination of fire, water, light, laser, and music. On the second night of Fashion Voyage #5, the show stage is the Kiss Bridge – an architectural masterpiece, a symbol of the Vietnamese-Italian cultural interference. Dong Thi Ngoc Anh, deputy general director of Sun Group, said that after the Fashion Voyage, it is expected that many artists will come to Sunset Town in particular, and Phu Quoc in general, to seek inspiration and bring here special events, festivals, art programmes to spread t...
Read more