the church of Cristo Re is packed – Corriere.it

the church of Cristo Re, in the Po district, in Cremona, was very crowded. Mass in memory of the city’s favorite son (who today proclaimed a day of mourning, lowered flags and a minute’s silence in public offices) Gianluca Vialli it could only recall hundreds of people from Cremona, dozens of exponents of the football world, former schoolmates, and endless memories because everyone has brought their own with them, waiting for the ceremony to kick off, going over them mentally. I keep mine to myself, whispers Roberto Bettega, a former footballer and former manager of Juventussitting in the pew with Ciro Ferrara, Fabrizio Ravanelli, Angelo Peruzzi, Michele Padovano.

And then again the Samp of Pietro Vierchowod, Fausto Salsano, Bubu Evani, Attilio Lombardo (who was another son adopted by Cremona), Gianluca Pagliuca, Pietro Lanna (I was just warming up the president’s chair, I’ve told him so many times, unfortunately I didn’t manage to crown this dream), Riccardo Ferri, Moreno Torricelli’s Juventus, Alessio Tacchinardi, Gianluca Pessotto who read a touching message for Luca. Seated in the front row, Guido Bertolaso ​​and the mayor of Cremona Gianluca Galimberti.

They are all here for him, for Gianluca. Under the altar the shirts of his teams, Cremonese, Sampdoria, Chelsea, Juventus (the blue and yellow one of the victory in the Champions League) and the national teambehind are seated the boys of Corona calcio, the team of Christ the King where Gianluca had started to kick the ball, and in the front row the players of the Cremonese youth team and the President Giovanni Arvedi. The first team engaged in these minutes on the Verona field.

The whole family is in the side chapel, except for the parents, father Gianfranco, 92, and mother Maria Teresa, 85, stopped by fever. The brothers, incredibly similar to Gianluca, Marco, Nino, Maffo, his sister Mila, the nephews (one, Nino’s son, with the Sampdoria scarf), close friends. Mass begins and there are already many shining eyes.

(article being updated)