Joe Cole leads tributes for Gianluca Vialli as the former footballer is honoured in Naples
‘He was a very special man’: Joe Cole leads tributes for Gianluca Vialli as the former footballer is honoured during pre-match show in Naples before Italy’s first game since his death
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Joe Cole paid tribute to Gianluca Vialli before England’s game against Italy.
The Italian died in January aged 58 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
He represented Italy in the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, won the Champions League with Juventus in 1996 and gained popularity in England during a short spell at Chelsea.
He would serve as Chelsea’s player-manager and then manager, leading them to the European Cup Winners’ Cup and the League Cup in 1998, plus the FA Cup in 2000.
Vialli was part of Roberto Mancini’s coaching team with the Italy national team until he resigned in December.
There were tributes paid to Italy legend Gianluca Vialla before England’s game against Italy
Vialli passed away at the age of 58 on Friday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer
Joe Cole described the former footballer as ‘a very special man’ before kick-off in Naples
He was part of the set-up that won Euro 2020 when they defeated England on penalties at Wembley.
‘He was a real gentleman,’ began Cole, speaking on Channel 4. ‘Whenever you lose someone in the football family it’s a sore miss, but he was a very special man.
‘He was loved at Chelsea and everywhere he went. He was a real gentleman and they’ve done him a right tribute tonight and rightly so.’
There was a pre-match light show in Naples before the game, which included an in-house tribute to Vialli.
Vialli and Mancini masterminded Italy’s success at the European Championships in 2021
Italy players wore shirts in tribute to Vialli during the game on Thursday evening
Italy players also wore special shirts in memory of Vialli.
The match signaled Italy’s first game since the death of their former coach.
Speaking on December 14, announcing he was leaving his role with the Italy team, Vialli said: ‘At the end of a long and difficult ‘negotiation’ with my wonderful team of oncologists I have decided to suspend, I hope temporarily, my present and future professional commitments.
‘The goal is to use all the psycho-physical energies to help my body overcome this phase of the disease, so that I will be able as soon as possible to face new adventures and share them with all of you.’
