Gianluca Vialli

AFKABartram

turns out he’s been battling pancreatic cancer for the last year and a half.

Just been given the all clear 👍

Quality striker he was. Him and Zola was a brilliant pairing, with Di Matteo behind. 

Didn’t seem as if there had been too many Italian successes over here until them 3 come along in 1996. 

Chizz

Wow, that's brilliant news. It's a nasty, vicious disease. It's so good to hear someone recovering. 

moutuakilla

Was so excited when they came over after seeing them on Football Italia - loved that show. Ravanelli, the White feather, too.

Great news.

ChicagoAddick

Phew. Bloody hell do we need some good news. Thanks @AFKABartram

WSS

Do we really need a new thread for everybody that is staying alive?

MuttleyCAFC

Bad news he had it (I didn't know) but great news he has beaten it.

soapy_jones

Great news he is getting there.

The_Organiser

Takes me back to that era of excitement of the first wave of (quality) foreign players arriving, who we’d only previously seen in tournaments, Ch4 or World Soccer magazine.

Globalisation has somewhat destroyed all of that mystique. Or have I just got older?

When all these football quizzes come around on social media it’s always that 90’s era that I score well on, much better than the current. 

Good news Gianluca!

AFKABartram

The_Organiser said:

Takes me back to that era of excitement of the first wave of (quality) foreign players arriving, who we’d only previously seen in tournaments, Ch4 or World Soccer magazine.

Globalisation has somewhat destroyed all of that mystique. Or have I just got older?

When all these football quizzes come around on social media it’s always that 90’s era that I score well on, much better than the current. 

Good news Gianluca!

It was almost like cricket with the ‘overseas player’ with each team having one or two big name attacking player, even outside the big clubs.

Forest would have Brian Roy, Spurs - Klinsmann, Ginola, Boro - Ravanelli, Juninho, Derby - Wanchope,  West Ham - Berkovic, Di Canio etc 

Even Bolton had in the space of a few years Jensen, Gudjohnson, Campo, Ococha, Djorkaeff!

Loved watching football then and knew virtually every player in the premier league squads. Struggle to name more than a few now

ForeverAddickted

AFKABartram said:

The_Organiser said:

Takes me back to that era of excitement of the first wave of (quality) foreign players arriving, who we’d only previously seen in tournaments, Ch4 or World Soccer magazine.

Globalisation has somewhat destroyed all of that mystique. Or have I just got older?

When all these football quizzes come around on social media it’s always that 90’s era that I score well on, much better than the current. 

Good news Gianluca!

It was almost like cricket with the ‘overseas player’ with each team having one or two big name attacking player, even outside the big clubs.

Forest would have Brian Roy, Spurs - Klinsmann, Ginola, Boro - Ravanelli, Juninho, Derby - Wanchope,  West Ham - Berkovic, Di Canio etc 

Even Bolton had in the space of a few years Jensen, Gudjohnson, Campo, Ococha, Djorkaeff!

Loved watching football then and knew virtually every player in the premier league squads. Struggle to name more than a few now

We pretty much did the same ourselves in 2000 when we signed: Jensen | Johansson | Kishishev

Carter

The_Organiser said:

Takes me back to that era of excitement of the first wave of (quality) foreign players arriving, who we’d only previously seen in tournaments, Ch4 or World Soccer magazine.

Globalisation has somewhat destroyed all of that mystique. Or have I just got older?

When all these football quizzes come around on social media it’s always that 90’s era that I score well on, much better than the current. 

Good news Gianluca!

I used this to describe how I feel about Brazil and Agrentinas national sides. It used to be that I'd only heard of the players through transworld sport or when I saw them play at a world cup. A few from watching football italia but mostly from reputation alone 

The Brazilian side with Romario, Bebeto, Carlos, Dunga et al 

Now they are all playing in Europe there isn't the same mystique 

Glad Gianluca is on the mend, I used to love watching that Juventus team with him and Ravanelli up front. Also seeing him make Peter Schmeichel look really daft at old trafford after he signed for Chelsea is a nice memory 

DOUCHER

The_Organiser said:

Takes me back to that era of excitement of the first wave of (quality) foreign players arriving, who we’d only previously seen in tournaments, Ch4 or World Soccer magazine.

Globalisation has somewhat destroyed all of that mystique. Or have I just got older?

When all these football quizzes come around on social media it’s always that 90’s era that I score well on, much better than the current. 

Good news Gianluca!

i know what you mean and yes we started getting the household names and lots of them then whereas before they were ending up in italy and spain but we still had some very good foreign players in the 80's - ardilles and villa at spurs, thaesen and muhren at ipswich for example, they were top draw players and they sort of felt a bit more 'exotic' coz u knew nothing about them 

ElfsborgAddick

Vialli was one of THE world's best players at the time, and seemingly a nice bloke.

Today we are full of mercenaries for average players and a***holes.