Insigne pays tribute to Sampdoria legend Vialli: ‘Your example will live on’

Insigne pays tribute to Sampdoria legend Vialli: ‘Your example will live on’ Lorenzo Insigne has paid an emotional tribute to Sampdoria icon Gianluca Vialli, days after completing his move to the Serie B club. Taking to social media on what would have been Vialli’s birthday, the newly-arrived forward honoured one of the most beloved figures in the Blucerchiati’s history. Insigne, the former Napoli captain and Euro 2020 winner, joined Sampdoria this week on a permanent deal, and his first gesture in the club’s colours was a heartfelt one, a nod to the man who helped make the shirt he now wears so revered. AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – SEPTEMBER 07: Head coach of Italy Roberto Mancini and Gianluca Vialli of Italy pause for the camera before to the UEFA Nations League group stage match between Netherlands and Italy at Johan Cruijff Arena on September 7, 2020 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images) Insigne salutes Sampdoria legend Vialli on his birthday “Today my thoughts go to Gianluca Vialli on the day of his birthday,” Insigne wrote . “Having just arrived at this magnificent club, I feel even more the privilege and the responsibility of being part of the history you made immortal. You taught that courage, heart and love for this shirt are worth more than any trophy. Happy birthday, Legend. Your example will continue to live on in the hearts of everyone.” Vialli remains an enduring symbol of Sampdoria’s greatest era, a talismanic striker who, alongside Roberto Mancini, fired the club to their historic Scudetto in 1990/91. His death in January 2023, after a battle with illness, was mourned across the game, and his legacy in Genoa endures. For Insigne, the words underline his awareness of what he has walked into, a proud club with a storied past, and a chance to write a new chapter of his own as he begins life in Serie B.