BREAKING NEWS: Ex-Chelsea star Gianluca Vialli leaves his role with Italy’s national team with immediate effect to focus on his second battle with cancer
- Gianluca Vialli is now stepping away from his role with Italy’s national team
- The former Chelsea striker was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017
- He believed he had the all clear but in 2021 he was told that cancer had returned
Gianluca Vialli is stepping away from his role with Italy’s national team with immediate effect to focus on his second battle with cancer.
The former Chelsea striker was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017 before revealing he had received the all-clear in November of the following year.
But having been told in 2021 that cancer has returned, Vialli has confirmed he is temporarily stepping down from the Italy team’s dugout – where he helped play a key role in their run to winning Euro 2020 – due to health reasons.
Gianluca Vialli has announced he is stepping away from his role with the Italian national team
Vialli was a key figure during the run to winning Euro 2020 – but now must focus on his health
‘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,’ Vialli said.
‘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.’
Gabriele Gravina, president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) added: ‘Gianluca is an absolute protagonist of the Italian national team and will be in the future.
Vialli (left) has been working on Roberto Mancini’s Italy staff and was present at Euro 2020
‘Thanks to his extraordinary strength of spirit, the Azzurri and the affection of the whole federal family, I am convinced he will be back soon.
‘He can count on each of us, because we are a team, on and off the pitch.’
Vialli joined Roberto Mancini’s coaching staff with the Italian national team after getting the all clear and he was a popular touchline figure during Euro 2020, which Italy won after beating England in the final on penalties.
Speaking about his cancer return in 2021, Vialli stressed that he was much improved and was determined to stay alongside Mancini for years to come.
He said at the time: ‘I will keep fighting, because I want to be here for many more years. I want you to have to put up with me for a long time to come.’
But he has now taken the difficult decision to step back, at least temporarily, to fully focus on his cancer treatment.
The former Chelsea striker is battling cancer for a second time and wants to focus on that
