Gianluca Vialli a charismatic Italian footballer, played a pivotal role in Chelsea history. It was when Gullit was sacked as Chelsea manager in Feb 98 that things started to change, at 33 years old he took on the role player-manager and he became the first Italian to manage in the Premier League. Vialli leadership on and off the pitch which is one of the reason why he was successful, making him the last ever player-manager.
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Vialli Arrival at Chelsea from big Juventus
Gianluca Vialli’s arrival at Chelsea in 1996 was nothing short of transformative. He came to London as a seasoned footballer with a wealth of experience, where previously at Juventus he won the Serie A, Coppa Italia, UEFA Cup and Champions League scoring 53 in 145 games. With Gianfranco Zola and Roberto Di Matteo at the club, Vialli adjusted to life in England quite fast aswell as learning English, you can see this helped him on the pitch, taking him 3 games to get on the scoresheet against Coventry, followed up by another goal in a 3-3 draw against London rivals Arsenal.
Transition to Player-Manager
Gianluca Vialli career took a wild turn, After that splendid FA Cup win in his debut season and a feud with Ruud Gullit who also was a player-manager, Gullit dropped Vialli for a few games in the first season including the final of the FA cup coming on as a sub in the last 89th mins of the game. This created some tension in the squad. However, fate had other plans. Following Gullit’s dismissal, Gianluca Vialli was handed a unique opportunity, the role of player-manager. Vialli became the first Italian to manage in the Premier League. Vialli went on to win League Cup and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 97–98 as a player and as a manager.
focus as Chelsea’s manager
Chelsea won the 97/98 Cup Winners’ Cup, so they played Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup. Despite being underdogs, Vialli’s tactical brilliance led Chelsea to a clean sheet victory, clinching another European trophy and finishing 3rd Premier League, making this Chelsea’s highest league finish in nearly 3 decades. Vialli’s playing career came to an end against Derby County scored a goal too. He left behind a legacy of 88 appearances and an impressive 40 goals during his time as a Chelsea player, Vialli wanted to foucs on being the manager of Chelsea.
Chelsea made their first ever apperance in the Champions League, In this UEFA Champions League group stage, the English side Chelsea emerged as the leaders with a strong performance, amassing 11 points. in the 2nd group stage Chelsea put up a commendable performance, securing the second position in the group. 10 points with 3 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses, Chelsea’s goal difference was a positive +3, having scored 8 goals and conceded 5 throughout the group stage matches. Notably, they registered a victory over the group leaders, Lazio, with a score of 3-1.
Quarter-final, Chelsea and Barcelona in the 99-00 season, the first leg took place on April 5, 2000, at Stamford Bridge in London. Chelsea won the first leg 3-1 with goals from Zola (30′), Flo (34′, 38′), while Figo (64′) scored for Barcelona. 2nd leg at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Barcelona made a stunning comeback, winning 5-1 after extra time. Rivaldo (24′, 99′ – penalty), Figo (45′), D. García (83′), and Kluivert (104′) scored for Barcelona, while Flo (60′) netted one for Chelsea.
Player Achievements at Chelsea:
- FA Cup: 1996–97
- League Cup: 1997–98
- UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup: 1997–98
Managerial Achievements at Chelsea:
- FA Cup: 1999–2000
- League Cup: 1997–98
- FA Charity Shield: 2000
- UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup: 1997–98
- UEFA Super Cup: 1998
Managerial Statistics at Chelsea:
- Tenure: From 12 February 1998 to 12 September 2000
- Total Matches: 143
- Wins: 76
- Losses: 29
- Draws: 38
- Win Percentage: 53.15%
Last ever player manager will be remembered as a legend in the game.
Catch you in the next one.