Chelsea legend John Terry has paid tribute to his former manager Gianluca Vialli after the Italian sadly passed away on Friday.
Vialli died at the age of 58 following a long battle with pancreatic cancer, with many paying tribute to him following his death. Terry has added his voice to those tributes, with Vialli having handed him his Blues debut in October 1998.
The Englishman admitted he had been left "heartbroken" by Vialli's passing as he paid tribute to the Italian. Terry posted a picture of Vialli celebrating Chelsea 's European Cup Winners' Cup victory in 1998 on Instagram as part of the tribute.
"Heartbroken. Luca Vialli RIP. The man who gave me my debut at Chelsea and I will forever be grateful. A true gentleman who will be truly missed. My love and condolences are with the Vialli family at this incredibly sad day," Terry wrote as the caption.
Tributes have poured in for Vialli, who enjoyed huge success as a manager at the Blues following a glittering playing career at Sampdoria, Juventus and on the international stage with Italy.
He was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017 and announced he had been given the all-clear in 2020 after treatment at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. But he was re-diagnosed with the disease in 2021 and announced last month that he had stepped down from his role as Italy's national team delegation chief.
During his 16-year playing career, he won the Serie A title with both Sampdoria and Juve, as well as the Coppa Italia, Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Cup, Premier League and League Cup.
The Italian Football Federation has announced all matches under its jurisdiction this weekend would be preceded by a minute’s silence in honour of Vialli. The Federation's president Gabriele Gravina announced the move with a heartfelt statement
He said in a statement: "I am deeply saddened – I hoped until the last that he could perform another miracle, yet I am comforted by the certainty that what he did for Italian football and the blue shirt will never be forgotten.
"Gianluca was a wonderful person and leaves an unfillable void, in the national team and in all those who appreciated his extraordinary human qualities."
Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali meanwhile vowed that Vialli's legacy would continue to be celebrated at Stamford Bridge following his sad death.
"This is truly an awful day for Chelsea Football Club. Gianluca's legend will live on at Stamford Bridge," the duo said in a statement posted on the Blues' social media accounts.
"His impact as a player, a coach and most importantly as a person, will be forever written across our club’s history. We send our heartfelt and deepest condolences to his family and friends."
One of Vialli's former teammates at Sampdoria, Graeme Souness, was left visibly emotional as he paid tribute to the legendary former striker.
"I can't tell you how good a guy he was," said Souness. "Forget football, he was just a gorgeous soul. He was just a truly nice human being. He was just fabulous to be around. He was such a fun-loving guy, full of mischief, wonderful footballer and a warm human being."
