Gianluca Vialli played in Sampdoria’s greatest ever team and lifted the Champions League trophy as Juventus captain.
Just a year and a half ago the former Chelsea player-manager – who has died from cancer aged 58 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer – was a member of best friend Roberto Mancini’s backroom team as Italy beat England on penalties to win the Euros at Wembley.
But his influence on clubs wearing blue didn’t stop there.
He had a significant impact on the fortunes of Dundee FC – starting with the moment his ex-teammate Ivano Bonetti was appointed boss in 2000 and peaking with the signing of his old Juve strike partner Fabrizio Ravanelli three years later.
Vialli and Bonetti starred together at Sampdoria, winning the 1991 Serie A title and reaching the 1992 European Cup final.
Ciao Gianluca pic.twitter.com/C9P8oVLSnR
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) January 6, 2023
After his appointment to the Dee hot seat after the sacking of Jocky Scott, Bonetti said he would look to tap in to his compatriot’s knowledge of the game.
A key part of the Stamford Bridge blueprint was the squad rotation policy, with no-one considered too integral to be taken out the starting XI.
He said: “Our situations are a little different, not just because of the players involved, but the number of games.
“Chelsea had to fulfil many Champions League fixtures which is not something we have to worry about.
“Nevertheless, it is my belief that this system has things to offer Dundee.
“I would like very much to be at a point where we have two players available for every position in the team – two players for each position who knew exactly the system we want to play and are able to interchange without upsetting the rhythm of the side.”
Bonetti was active in the transfer market and among his first signings were Georgian captain Georgi Nemsadze and Vialli’s former Juventus team-mate Marco de Marchi.
There was also talk of glamour friendlies between Chelsea and Dundee.
Things started well for the Italian but his Dundee outfit somehow managed to amass an astonishing six red and 21 yellow cards from just seven outings.
Luca’s advice to Dundee boss
He enlisted the help of Vialli to curb the indiscipline, saying: “Everyone knows I am close to Gianluca and it is only natural that when I have a problem with something that I would talk with him.
“He knows what it is like to manage a team with many players foreign to the country they are playing in, so hopefully he can give us some useful advice.”
It was the final phone call to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea sacked Vialli in September 2000, just five games in to the new top-flight season.
A week later, Dundee won their first city derby under Bonetti 3-0 but the victory was overshadowed by a serious injury to striker Fabian Caballero.
The Dark Blues gaffer immediately put in calls around the globe to find a replacement and there were rumours Vialli – who had scarcely kicked a ball for over a year – would be arriving as a short-term substitute.
But the Sampdoria and Juventus icon had no desire to move north – and Caballero’s injury served to refresh and intensify talks behind the scenes that eventually brought Claudio Caniggia to Dens Park.
Bonetti’s first campaign brought a top-six finish and an attractive brand of football but – with a record of 29 wins, 21 draws and 40 losses from 90 games – he was sacked in July 2002 after a disappointing second season.
Step forward Jim Duffy, on the Chelsea coaching staff during Vialli’s reign and praised for his part in in the development of future Blues and England skipper John Terry.
He led Dundee to a top-six finish and the Scottish Cup final in his first season.
But Giovanni di Stefano was soon on the scene demanding more big-name signings – and that led to a conversation about the man known as The White Feather.
Marquee signings at Dens
Duffy later said: “It just so happened he [Di Stefano] said something about Ravanelli, and I was quite friendly with Luca Vialli, who I’d been with at Chelsea. Ravanelli and Luca were pals.
“So I ended up contacting Luca and we managed to get a hold of Ravanelli and he agreed to come.”
The striker arrived in the City of Discovery in September 2003, seven years after scoring and playing up front alongside Vialli in Juventus’ Champions League Final triumph over Ajax.
This was a player who had won five Serie A titles, commanded a £7 million transfer fee when he signed for Middlesbrough from the Old Lady, and won 22 caps for Italy.
Vialli spoke about his role in the deal at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship pro-am at St Andrews that year.
He said: “Fabrizio asked me what I knew about Dundee because he knows I know Ivano Bonetti and he knows I play golf here quite often.
“He was curious to find out as much information as possible about the club and the players but he made his own mind up after what he saw when he came over.
“I don’t think he plays golf – he races cars which is really a lot more dangerous!
“But he has the desire to be successful. He is a very proud man and I don’t think he is coming up to Dundee just to have a good time and enjoy the weather.
“He is there because he had a very frank conversation with Jim Duffy and they know what they want from each other.
“I am sure he is coming up to try to take this club even further.”
Ravanelli’s poignant post
But the marquee signing policy blew up in spectacular fashion and Dundee were plunged into administration in November 2003, with 15 players losing their jobs.
Vialli – who won the League Cup, Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup, Uefa Super Cup and FA Cup as Chelsea manager – returned to the back pages of The Courier in August 2022 when he was named alongside pal Bonetti as part of a reported Qatari bid to buy his old club Sampdoria.
But the takeover deal for the Blucerchiati did not materialise.
His death has prompted a huge outpouring of grief from the footballing world.
Ravanelli, 54, posted a picture of the pair from their days in Turin on Twitter, writing: “Ciao Capitano.”
