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How did Gianluca Vialli die? Former Italy and Chelsea soccer legend dies at 58 after long battle

Gianluca Vialli was known as a goal-scoring machine and knocked in 40 of them in his 88 appearances for Chelsea between 1996 and 1999

CREMONA, ITALY: Italian soccer legend Gianluca Vialli has died at the age of 58, five years after he was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Vialli was known as a goal-scoring machine and knocked in 40 of them in his 88 appearances for Chelsea between 1996 and 1999. He then went on to manage the Stamford Bridge club and won three major trophies in his tenure. Chelsea won the League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup within Vialli's first few months on the job after he took over as player manager in February 1998. He added the FA Cup to his credits in 2000. 

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According to the Daily Mirror, the former Sampdoria and Juventus forward won an impressive 59 caps for Italy. He was initially given the all-clear for his cancer in 2020 and took up a role on former teammate Roberto Mancini's staff with the Italian national team. They would win the European Championships in England the following summer. Vialli stepped down from the role in December when he returned to the Royal Marsden hospital to undergo further treatment for cancer, which he called an "unwanted guest." He revealed that he had undergone radiotherapy and chemotherapy in November 2018, after he was diagnosed with cancer a year earlier.

The Cremonese striker explained his decision to step down from his role on December 14. “The goal is to use all my psycho-physical energies to help my body overcome this phase of the disease, in order to be able to face new adventures as soon as possible and share them with all of you," he said. Vialli, who also managed Watford between 2001 and 2002, is now survived by his wife Cathryne White Cooper, and their two daughters Olivia and Sofia.

Tributes poured in from across the world of soccer. "Ciao Gianluca, you will forever be remembered," the Italian national team said in a tribute. "A great man, a great champion and fighter on the field and in life," read the message from Serie A side Udinese. "You left early, bloody early but you will always remain in our hearts with your unforgettable example and class. Ciao Gianluca." AC Milan said, "We are saddened by the passing of Gianluca Vialli, a great sportsman on and off the pitch. Our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones."

Spezia, another Serie A club, called Vialli a "World football icon," adding, "Leader on and off the field. Ciao Gianluca, you leave a great void, but your memory and your example will never leave us. After winning the Champions League with Juventus in 1996, Vialli completed his playing career in England. He took over as player manager of Chelsea after the departure of Ruud Gullit. "You’ll be missed by so many," Chelsea wrote on social media tribute. "A legend to us and to all of football. Rest in peace, Gianluca Vialli"

It's worth noting that Vialli's 59 Italy caps included call-ups for the 1986 and 1990 World Cups. He was part of the Azzurri team that lost to Argentina in the 1990 semi-finals and was on the bench for his country as they beat England in the third-place play-off, according to the Mirror.