Photo: Prensa Latina.

Havana, January 6 (RHC)-- Italian soccer legend Gianluca Viali died Friday of cancer at the age of 58, after being admitted to a London hospital for further treatment.

Viali was one of the most outstanding strikers of his time in Italy, both at club and national team level, scoring 16 goals in the 80s and 90s.

The legendary player dispersed his club career between Cremonense, Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea, where he retired and managed between 1997 and 2001.

One of his greatest successes as a player was winning the UEFA Cup title, now the Champions League, playing for Juventus in the 1996 competition.

He was also top scorer in Serie A in the 1990-1991 season, while as manager of the "blues" in the English Premier League he won a European Cup Winners' Cup, an FA Cup, a League Cup, a European Super Cup and an English Super Cup.

Viali had one last professional satisfaction in 2021 when his friend and teammate at Sampdoria, Roberto Mancini, called him to work with the transalpine national team that won the European Championship at Wembley against England.