In an emotional day for Sampdoria, former players and club legends gathered at the iconic ‘pier of friendship’ to honor the memory of Gianluca Vialli. Among those present was Fabio Quagliarella, who shared a touching anecdote about the late striker.
“I have a message from Vialli saved on my phone. It arrived on the team bus after I had scored a brace against Fiorentina. From a number I didn’t have in my contacts, it was him: ‘You’re amazing, you deserve to play with the number 9 Blucerchiati shirt.’ I still get goosebumps telling this story,” Quagliarella revealed.
The former Sampdoria captain also addressed speculation about a potential return to the club, stating, “If the club calls me? We’ll sit down… But that’s not the priority right now. At this moment, it’s the team and the club that need to return to what they once were.”
Quagliarella also commented on the current situation at Sampdoria, particularly regarding player Accardi: “Many players go on the field and don’t meet expectations. He’s only to blame up to a certain point.”
Marco Lanna, another Sampdoria legend, spoke about Vialli’s influence: “For me, Luca was a guide. You just had to watch him, and you’d learn something. He had big plans for Samp, he wanted to recreate the environment from Mantovani’s time in today’s football.”
Attilio Lombardo, affectionately known as ‘Popeye’, shared insights from a recent conversation with Roberto Mancini: “I spoke to him yesterday, and he said it’s as if he were present among us. Luca was a reference point, like his twin Roberto. He was also important for support. When things weren’t going well, we’d say to him, ‘You talk to the coach,’ ‘You talk to the president’… I like to remember him with a smile because he smiled until the end and always said, ‘Smile at life.'”
Lombardo also hinted at a possible future involvement with Sampdoria for himself and Mancini: “Our desire to return to Samp has always been there and always will be. It’s logical that we need to find the right path to pursue what is our desire, our dream, and that of the old guard and the fans as well.”
