Tributes are pouring in from across the footballing world for Gianluca Vialli, who has died today aged 58 after a long battle with cancer.
For many of us, growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, Vialli was both a player and a coach who was a key part of the process to bridge Chelsea from our local team to a global superpower.
His class on the ball was only matched by his class as a person, and there are few figures at Chelsea as revered by fans of the club – and even fewer who have earned the respect even of our greatest rivals.
We could go on for hours about his ability as a footballer, but his impact as a person was even more striking – we’ve rarely seen tributes from across the footballing world as positive and heartfelt as those we’re seeing today.
Rest in peace Luca – an inspiration as a person as well as a professional.
