Chelsea paid a moving tribute to the late Gianluca Vialli ahead of Sunday’s Premier League match against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.
Vialli died last week at the age of 58 after battling pancreatic cancer and Chelsea paid tribute to the Blues legend in their first home match since his death.
Some of his former teammates and players he managed, including John Terry, Mark Hughes and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, turned up on the pitch before kick-off to pay tribute to the Italian 1 I joined both teams in a minute of applause.
Huge banners were spread around Stamford Bridge as supporters chanted his name.
A tribute to Vialli adorns the inside of Stamford Bridge, where former team-mate Graeme Le Saux said:
“A dream come true under your management and a dream come true to become a Chelsea legend.
“But most of all, Luca, you were a wonderful man. Charming, respectful, determined. You had a heart of gold that impressed many.”
“Our hearts are broken now, but how lucky we were to have known you. Luca, we love you and miss you.”
Chelsea players warmed up in a special t-shirt with ‘Vialli 9’ printed on the back and wore black armbands during matches.
Supporters laid a wreath outside Stamford Bridge in tribute to Vialli, who spent three years as both player and manager at Chelsea.
The Italian won the FA Cup with Chelsea in 1997 and was appointed player-manager in 1998, leading the Blues to victories in the League Cup, European Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Super Cup that year. He also led Chelsea to his FA Cup success in 2000.
Vialli was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017. He was completely cleared a year after his death, but announced in 2021 that his pancreatic cancer had returned.
