He always struck me as being one of the good guys. I loved seeing him used as a pundit on Sky Sports, with his soft charm and easy wit. Those that knew him said that he was real gentleman and that is how he came across on screen. Football lost another icon just a week after the biggest of them all: Pele. But unlike Pele, I saw Vialli play many times on my TV screen.
I first saw him play, as far as I can remember, at Italia 1990. He played for Italy in that famous semi-final against Argentina in Naples. Maradona playing in the stadium where he was adored, Caniggia scoring the equaliser after a curly haired Vialli helped create Italy's opener. What a game that was, in the era when World Cups were magical events.
But I remember him most from watching Football Italia on Channel 4 in the early 90s. English football had been acquired by BSkyB, so Channel 4 started showing Italian games. I couldn't afford Sky at the time and Gazza was playing in Italy for Lazio, so little by little I got drawn to the Italian game. Milan were the best team in the league at that time with Van Basten, Gullit, Baresi, Ancelotti and Maldini among their stars, until they were knocked off their perch by Vialli's Juve in 1995.
I first saw him play, as far as I can remember, at Italia 1990. He played for Italy in that famous semi-final against Argentina in Naples. Maradona playing in the stadium where he was adored, Caniggia scoring the equaliser after a curly haired Vialli helped create Italy's opener. What a game that was, in the era when World Cups were magical events.
But I remember him most from watching Football Italia on Channel 4 in the early 90s. English football had been acquired by BSkyB, so Channel 4 started showing Italian games. I couldn't afford Sky at the time and Gazza was playing in Italy for Lazio, so little by little I got drawn to the Italian game. Milan were the best team in the league at that time with Van Basten, Gullit, Baresi, Ancelotti and Maldini among their stars, until they were knocked off their perch by Vialli's Juve in 1995.
That Juve team was just incredible. The front three were the best on the planet at that time. Vialli, Baggio and Ravenelli were destroying defences aided and abetted by a midfield of Deschamps, Antonio Conte and super-sub Del Piero. They won Serie A in 95 and the Champions League in 96. At that time Italian football was the best in the world and Vialli was one of its top stars. Many people have fond memories of James Richardson's Channel 4 coverage in the 90s for good reason.
I finally got Sky in 97 not long after my favourite Italian rocked up in England, signing for Chelsea in 96. Sky's money transformed English football and at around that time started to take over as the best league by attracting the biggest stars, Vialli amongst them. He had a great career in Chelsea too, before becoming player manager and winning the League cup and Cup Winners' Cup in 98. As Chelsea manager he had Ray Wilkins as his assistant, many would say the two nicest men in football, both taken too young. His managerial career ended at Watford in 2002 and he became a pundit for Sky Italia and British Sky Sports.
Lately he had been working for the Italian national team on the coaching staff of his best friend, Roberto Mancini, but had to stand down after his pancreatic cancer returned. It would eventually take his life at the age of 58.
I finally got Sky in 97 not long after my favourite Italian rocked up in England, signing for Chelsea in 96. Sky's money transformed English football and at around that time started to take over as the best league by attracting the biggest stars, Vialli amongst them. He had a great career in Chelsea too, before becoming player manager and winning the League cup and Cup Winners' Cup in 98. As Chelsea manager he had Ray Wilkins as his assistant, many would say the two nicest men in football, both taken too young. His managerial career ended at Watford in 2002 and he became a pundit for Sky Italia and British Sky Sports.
Lately he had been working for the Italian national team on the coaching staff of his best friend, Roberto Mancini, but had to stand down after his pancreatic cancer returned. It would eventually take his life at the age of 58.
Football has lost yet another of its great and good.
 |
| Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports |
No comments