Vialli steps down from Italy role to concentrate on second cancer battle

Chelsea legend Gianluca Vialli was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer back in 2017. He was told by doctors that the cancer was gone in 2018 but last year, the disease returned.

Now he has announced that he will leave his role as a delegation chief with the Italy national team to focus on his health.

“At the end of a long and difficult ‘negotiation’ with my wonderful team of oncologists, I have decided to suspend, hopefully temporarily, my present and future professional commitments,” the 58-year-old said in a statement quoted by the Athletic.

“The goal is to use all my psycho-physical energies to help my body overcome this phase of the disease, in order to be able to face new adventures as soon as possible and share them with all of you.”