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Bernardo Gradilla and his treatment for testicular cancer 1:06
(CNN) - Former Italian striker Gianluca Vialli has overcome pancreatic cancer, his former club Chelsea in England confirmed. Vialli in mid-April had already said that he felt better.
Vialli, who played for Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea before taking on the role of player manager with the 'Blues in 1998', enjoyed a career with the club and represented Italy with his team more than 50 times.
He initially recovered from cancer after receiving treatment in 2018, but the disease returned last year. On April 11 in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Reppublica he said he felt good.
"I'm fine. In December I finished 17 months of chemotherapy, one cycle of eight months and another of nine. It was difficult, even for someone as tough as me, both physically and mentally. The tests showed no signs of the disease. I'm happy, even if I say that under my breath to be sure. Recovering my health means seeing myself in the mirror again, seeing my hair grow, not having to draw my eyebrows with a pencil. It may seem strange at the moment (because of the pandemic), compared to many others I feel very lucky. ”
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of this disease, with a survival rate of approximately 5%.
Despite regaining his health, Vialli wanted to remember those who suffered in Italy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I feel guilty for not being in Lombardy ... I think of those who were taken to the hospital and forced to die alone, their relatives are not allowed to be close in case of infection, I think of funerals that could not be held. It is terrible, an extreme test, a torment. This crisis will leave huge scars in the country; emotional, moral and economic scars, "he added.
Italy has been particularly affected by the coronavirus. More than 150,000 cases have been reported, according to Johns Hopkins University, and the country's closure has been extended through May 3.
Vialli spent most of his days playing for the Italian team La Sampdoria in the 1980s and 1990s, where he won the league title in 1991 and three Italian Cup titles.
Chelsea signed Gianluca Vialli before taking over a managerial position at the club. He moved to Juventus in 1992 and won the Champions League four years later before signing with Chelsea.
In addition to his role as technical director with the 'Blues', he also had a similar role with Watford although with little luck.
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After his initial cancer diagnosis, Vialli said he felt a "shame" feeling about the disease, adding that he would wear a sweater under his shirt so that no one would notice his changing physique.
He currently works as Roberto Mancini's technical assistant in the Italian soccer team.
Livia Borghese in Rome contributed to this report.