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The football world is in mourning once more after it was announced that former Juventus and Chelsea striker Gianluca Vialli has passed away.
Following on from the untimely deaths of Pele and Sinisa Mihajlovic, another legend of the game has sadly lost his long-running battle with cancer.
He passed away at the age of 58, five years after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
The Italian was an icon at Stamford Bridge, scoring 40 goals in 88 appearances for Chelsea in a three year spell before going on to manage the club, winning three major trophies.
With his wife and children by his side, the Italian sadly passed away on Friday, January 6 2023.
As fans and friends pay tribute to the late Gianluca Vialli, we take a look at his early days with wife, Cathryn White Cooper, and their children.
Gianluca Vialli wife | Quick Facts
| Full Name | Cathryn White Cooper |
| Occupation | Model and an interior decorator |
| Birth Place | British |
| Age | Not Available |
Who is Cathryn White-Cooper?
During his career, Gianluca Vialli had a great deal of support from his loving wife, Cathryn White-Cooper.
She was also by his side throughout his debilitating cancer journey.
Vialli revealed to The Times: “I got my wife advising which make-up looks better. We laughed. You have to laugh. You need to find the funny side if you can.”
As reported by The Sun, Cathryn was formerly a model and an interior decorator.
White-Cooper is of South African origin and married Vialli in 2003, three years after he left Chelsea.
The pair met during Vialli’s time at Chelsea and a budding romance blossomed.
Gianluca and White-Cooper share two daughters called Olivia and Sophie.
Vialli revealed his daughters were very supportive during his battle with cancer.
Speaking to The Times, Vialli said: ”My daughters helped draw my eyebrows back on.
Who was Gianluca Vialli ?
Born in Cremona, Vialli began his career at Cremonese, his hometown club, before starring in Serie A for Sampdoria and Juventus, and ended his playing career at Chelsea before going into management and coaching.
He scored 16 goals in 59 appearances for Italy and featured in the Azzurri’s 1986 and 1990 World Cup squads.
Vialli also won three Italian Cups and the European Cup Winners’ Cup with Samp, while reaching the 1992 European Cup final, before making a record-breaking £12.5 million transfer to Juventus.
Another Serie A crown, Italian Cup and UEFA Cup were captured in Turin, but the undoubted highlight of a four-year stint with the Bianconeri came when beating Ajax in the 1996 Champions League final.
