Vialli, funeral in London: Mancini and Gravina among those present

From our correspondent Davide Chinellato

January 17th
– London

While the evening of the coldest day of the year was descending on London, the Vialli family said their last goodbyes to Gianluca. A private ceremony, for family members and a few friends such as Roberto Mancini, Ciro Ferrara, Massimo Mauro and the president of the FIGC Gabriele Gravina. In the small red brick chapel of a large cemetery in the south west suburbs of London. A ceremony away from the spotlight, in the strictest secrecy, as the Vialli family had said would happen.

THE CEREMONY

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Cathryn, Gianluca’s wife, was the first to leave the house in the Chelsea area in the early afternoon to get on the gray van that took the family to Vialli’s last farewell. Behind her are her daughters Sophia and Olivia, her sister and her immediate family. An hour later they were in the cemetery on the bank of the Thames. Gianluca’s coffin was already there, outside the chapel, inside a hearse and covered with flowers. It was guarded by the priest who celebrated the function, whose first task was to welcome the Vialli family and the other participants in the ceremony, just over 30 people. When the participants in the function had entered the chapel, the priest came out again accompanied by 6 people, including coach Mancini, who loaded Vialli’s coffin on their shoulders and carried it inside. The ceremony lasted about 35 minutes. Then the participants went out, embraced each other and arranged to meet in the Vialli house: in England it is tradition that after a funeral ceremony all the participants in the funeral gather in the house of the deceased for a last tribute. Shortly after 8pm, Chelsea’s house slowly emptied.

PRIVACY

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After the announcement of his death on 6 January, the Vialli family closed itself in the strictest secrecy, broken only by the moving letter that his wife Cathryn delivered to the Gazzetta the next day. Since then no comments. The last farewell was like this, for a few close friends, for family and for those friends, in and out of football, who will make sure it is never forgotten.