205: Gianluca Vialli, Chelsea, Pro Match Soccer Series 2

Just over three years after his arrival at The New Den Mark McGhee departed Millwall in October 2003 citing his strained relationship with club chairman, and future Dragon’s Den star, Theo Paphitis. McGhee had led the Lions to the top of Division Two in his first season in charge and taken them to the play-offs in the 2001/02 Division One campaign. Despite Paphitis allowing the likes of Lucas Neill and Phil Stamp to leave there was a strong squad in place with ambitions to push towards the promised land of the Premier League and therefore the rumour mill was working overtime churning out potential successors to Mark McGhee. This reached fever pitch when it was suggested that a high-profile former footballer and talented young manager with an FA Cup, League Cup, Cup Winners’ Cup and Super Cup on his CV may be taking up the reins at Millwall and one of my school friends decided that staking out the training ground was a better use of his time than his GCSEs. He felt vindicated when a swanky Range Rover arrived on site. Sadly his euphoria was short lived when mulleted centre-half Darren Ward climbed out of the vehicle rather than Gianluca Vialli.

It’s easy to underestimate the level of excitement that greeted the arrival of Vialli at Chelsea in the summer of 1996. The Blues were not the global superpower we know and just about tolerate today yet, through the influence of rookie player-manager Ruud Gullit, had secured the services of a striker who had scored fourteen goals as his Juventus side had stormed to Champions League victory just a few short months earlier. He was one of the most recognisable stars of Serie A who had scored 219 goals for the Old Lady and Sampdoria and won a host of trophies while doing so. As avid Football Italia fans my parents, sister and I headed to Stamford Bridge to witness Vialli’s debut in a friendly against PSV Eindhoven a week before the start of the Premier League season and, although the Blues fell to a 3-2 defeat, it was clear that they had secured a handy talent. He notched up eleven goals in 34 appearances in his first season in West London as his new side finished sixth in the Premier League and won the FA Cup thanks to a 2-0 victory over his former Juve strike partner Fabrizio Ravanelli’s Middlesbrough. However, it’s almost certain that his first year highlight was being spotted in a newsagent in Chelsea by my Dad and I and asked to sign a hastily purchased copy of the Radio Times. That or being recognised while trying to keep a low profile en route to meet his agent by my Gran. For legal reasons I hasten to point out that we were not actively stalking the man.

Having more than found his feet in England Vialli was in excellent form in the 1997/98 campaign with nineteen goals in 33 appearances setting the Blues well on the way to a strong league finish and the finals of both the League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup. However, a falling out between Gullit and club chairman Ken Bates thrust Vialli into the managerial hotseat (the club’s third successive player-manager) in February 1998. Despite his inexperience the Italian led Chelsea to fourth place in the Premier League and victory against Middlesbrough in the League Cup at Wembley and VfB Stuttgart in Europe’s premier competition. The following season saw Chelsea finish third in the league and reach the quarter-finals of both domestic cup competitions with Vialli still managing to contribute ten goals in twenty games. For good measure the Blues also collected the European Super Cup and reached the final of the Cup Winners’ Cup for the second consecutive season. Vialli had made a very good start to life in management and it was little surprise when he took on the role full time ahead of the 1999/2000 season.

Vialli’s side reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League and bested Aston Villa in the last FA Cup final at the original (and better) Wembley Stadium but could only manage a fifth placed finish in the Premier League. With pressure mounting on the Italian to deliver Chelsea’s first league title in over half a century he was relieved of his duties after just two wins in the first six games of the 2000/01 season despite collecting another piece of silverware in the form of the Charity Shield. His impressive managerial CV failed to attract much interest until First Division Watford snapped him up to replace club legend Graham Taylor for the 2001/02 campaign. Vialli splashed Elton John’s cash, and took around £1m home himself, but failed to elevate the Hornets above mid-table and was sacked after just one year in the job. He has not managed since.

Gianluca Vialli’s managerial career never quite reached the dizzying heights of his first years at Chelsea, and failed to take in the bright lights of South Bermondsey regardless of the number of bunking Year 11s, but he has remained within the game in a range of roles. He has worked as a pundit for Sky Italia as well as BBC Sport and has authored a book alongside lifelong friend Gabriele Marcotti exploring the similarities and differences between English and Italian football. In October 2019 he was hired by former team-mate and friend Roberto Mancini to serve as delegation chief for the Italian national football team and was a regular presence in the touchline celebrations as the Azzurri stormed to Euro 2020 glory. Vialli’s most recent success was particularly pleasing, even for dejected England fans, as it followed a seventeen-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Sadly he has once again been diagnosed with the disease and we can but hope for the best for his recovery. It would be great to see such a popular figure back thrilling the football world in some capacity. Hopefully Darren Ward won’t again make the mistake of turning up instead.