Gianluca Vialli: Look back to when classy Italian striker had Portsmouth and Fratton Park in his heart

The former Italy, Juventus and Chelsea striker passed away at the age of 58 following a lengthy battle with cancer. Vialli is considered one of English football’s most successful and popular European imports.

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During a 16-year playing career in Italy, Vialli – raised in the Castello di Belgioso in Cremona, Lombardy – won every major trophy on offer in Italy. This included Serie A titles with Sampdoria (1991) and Juventus (1995), the Champions League with the latter in 1996, the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. He was also a four-time Coppa Italia winner.

Vialli also featured in the the 1986 and 1990 World Cup finals for his country, while also lifting the FA Cup in his first season at Chelsea in 1996. He became a player manager at Stamford Bridge and led the club to glory in both the League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup.

Aged just 33 years and 308 days, Vialli was then the youngest manager to win a major European title. He bowed out of the role by scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 home win over Derby.

His appeal – due to the glint in his eye and grasp of colloquial English – extended across the UK, including in Portsmouth. In June 2014, Vialli launched the club's FanFunding project – the first of its kind – in a bid to raise money for the Blues' Academy.

The scheme ran alongside Tifosy, aiming to build two training pitches at Roko. Then manager Andy Awford joked he signed the Chelsea stalwart to a four-year-deal and said the project was ‘perfect’ for a pioneering club ‘owned by the fans’.

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Vialli praised the ‘amazing' efforts of Pompey fans who rallied behind the project. As reported in The News on August 9, 2014, Vialli said: ‘They've already done something incredible when they saved the club.

‘And now they're raising money to build facilities for the Academy and help the club to build a future.’ The target, £250,000 in 61 days, was smashed by Blues fans uniting to build a better future for club.

Vialli described the achievement ‘revolution for football’. That milestone lives alongside his footballing legacy.