Why is Italy wearing a one-off shirt in honour of Gianluca Vialli tonight against England?
Italy host England in Naples TONIGHT, and the Azzurris plan to pay tribute to their former coach Gianluca Vialli.
The former Chelsea striker died in January at the age of 58 following a lengthy battle with cancer.
Gianluca Vialli in the Chelsea vs Stuttgart CWC final May 13 1998Alamy
Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini with the 2020 Euro trophyGETTY
Vialli claimed 59 senior caps and scored 16 goals for Italy during his career.
He also featured for his country in the 1986 and 1990 World Cups.
The legendary striker won every major trophy on offer, most notably the Champions League with Juventus in 1996.
He also won two Serie A titles, one with Sampdoria in 1991 and the other with Juventus in 1995.
Vialli played a major part in Italy’s triumph at Euro 2020.
The Azzurris beat England at Wembely on penalties to claim the silverware.
Why is Italy wearing a one-off shirt in honour of Gianluca Vialli TONIGHT against England?
This is the first game the Italians have been involved in since Vialli’s passing at the start of the year.
The shirt dedicated to the memory of Gianluca Vialli will be worn by Italy in the match between Italy and EnglandGETTY
The shirt dedicated to the memory of Gianluca Vialli will be worn by Italy in the match between Italy and EnglandGETTY
The special message at the top of the shirt reads: “Luca, forever an Azzurro.”
Both sides will have their countries’ prestigious home colours on display this evening.
What has Italy manager Roberto Mancini said?
It will be a very emotional evening for the former Manchester City manager.
Mancini said: “It’s very emotional obviously, It’s the first time we have played a game since Luca’s passing.
“We were very fortunate enough to have him as a teammate and a player.
“He is immortal and people like that will always be near to us.”
Tonight’s game will be the fourth time the two countries have played each other in two years.
