John Terry paid an emotional tribute to Italian great Gianluca Vialli after scoring for Chelsea against Bayern Munich in a fixture involving former players of both clubs.
The encounter was played on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at Stamford Bridge, and it was in memory of the former Chelsea player and manager.
Gianluca Vialli died on the 6th of January, 2023, and Chelsea did an honorable act by raising funds for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and the Chelsea Foundation on Saturday, September 9, 2023.
Legends of Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich 4-0, and John Terry was amongst the goalscorers on the night.
The Englishman brought back memories of the past, as he scored in the 26th minute following a pass from Florent Malouda.
John Terry tribute to Gianluca Vialli
Whilst celebrating the goal, John Terry pointed to the sky with his two hands, paying tribute to the late Vialli.
Terry also took to Twitter on Sunday, September 10, 2023, to thank Chelsea fans for their support on Saturday, September 10, 2023 and he also made it known that it was in memory of Gianluca Vialli.
Several fans also in attendance paid their tribute, with a banner unveiled basically in memory of the Chelsea great.
The banner, hoisted by fans, displayed the image of Gianluca Vialli with an Italian flag in the background.
The inscription read: “When his goals light the sky, there’s a tear in my eye.”
Gianluca Vialli made 87 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 40 goals and providing 5 assists across all competitions.
He signed for Chelsea on July 1, 1996, on a free transfer, following the expiration of his deal with Juventus.
Vialli hung up his boots at the end of the 1998-99 season, to focus primarily on his Chelsea managerial job.
Stamford Bridge filled with chants of “Vialli, Vialli”
After the unveiling of the tifo, Stamford Bridge was encapsulated with chants of “Vialli, Vialli” as Roberto Di Matteo and Gianluca Zola were seen emotional in the touchline.
The wife and daughter of Gianluca Vialli were present at Stamford Bridge, as there were minutes of deafening applause for the late star.
Chelsea smashed Bayern Munich on their home turf, and the game had several legends on parade for both clubs.
Micheal Essien, John Obi Mikel, Pete Cech, and Gary Cahill amongst others represented Chelsea, while Bayern Munich had Owen Hargreaves, Claudio Pizarro, and Lucio amongst others.
The Stamford Bridge club defeated Bayern Munich courtesy of goals from John Terry, Micheal Essien, Gary Cahill, and Tiago.
Meanwhile, John Terry might be the next big name heading to Saudi Arabia, as reports indicate that he is set to become the manager of Al Shabab.
Terry has reached a verbal agreement with the side, and it appears it is a matter of “when” and “not” if he would become the manager of the Pro League club.
This would become the Englishman’s first senior managerial job, as he has previously been an assistant manager at Aston Villa and Leicester City, under the leadership of Dean Smith.
