Chelsea remember Gianlucu Vialli with flowers, shirts, banners and club greats in attendance to honour Blues legend in game against Crystal Palace
Chelsea showed an outpouring of love for Gianluca Vialli ahead of the first game at Stamford Bridge since the club legend passed away.
There were banners, flowers, shirts and club greats paying tribute to the Italian who tragically died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 52 on January 6.
Vialli played for the Blues from 1996 to 1999 after leaving his home country, and then went onto be a player manager, before becoming head coach of the team.
The striker is remembered fondly as a Chelsea and Premier League legend, and the London side made sure to pay respect to their former No.9 in the best way possible.
Ahead of kick-off fans left numerous tributes outside of the Bridge, with shirts, scarves, written messages of condolence and flower pieces in tribute.
One group of fans even held up a replica cheque which said that they donated £700 to Pancreatic Cancer UK in memory of their hero.
Players then warmed up for the match against Crystal Palace in black ‘Vialli 9’ shirts, while a book of condolences was left to be signed in the club museum.
Inside the stadium, one banner read ‘When his goals light the sky there’s a tear in my eye’ and another ‘When the ball hits the back of the Old Trafford net’.
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A minute's applause then took place before kick-off, and Chelsea’s current squad were joined on the pitch by a number of Vialli’s former Blues teammates.
The likes of John Terry, Graeme Le Saux, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Hughes lined up on the centre circle to remember their great teammate.
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