Gianluca Vialli has been urged to "stay strong and keep fighting" in his cancer battle after it emerged the Serie A great is being treated in hospital.

The 58-year-old former Italy striker has been visited at a London clinic by his mother and a brother, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Concern in Italy about Vialli's health is shared in England, where former Chelsea defender John Terry sent a message of support.

Terry was given his Blues debut by player-manager Vialli in 1998 and went on to be a long-standing club captain.

He wrote on Twitter: "Stay strong and keep fighting Luca. We are all thinking of you. We are sending our love, strength and prayers."

Vialli began his career at Cremonese, his hometown club, before going on to star in Serie A for Sampdoria and Juventus, later ending his playing career at Chelsea before going into management and coaching.

Cremonese posted a picture of a young Vialli on Tuesday, adding the message: "Always by your side."

He scored 16 goals in 59 appearances for Italy and featured in the Azzurri's 1986 and 1990 World Cup squads.

It was announced last week Vialli would be stepping away from his role as delegation chief with the Italy team to focus on his battle with pancreatic cancer.

He has been reunited of late in the Italy set-up with head coach Roberto Mancini, his former Sampdoria strike partner, and Vialli is hoping to recover in order to resume his national team role.

Vialli announced he had undergone radiotherapy and chemotherapy in November 2018, having been diagnosed with cancer one year earlier.

He was initially given the all-clear in April 2020, but he announced he was fighting the disease again in December 2021.

Explaining his decision to suspend his Italy involvement, Vialli said on December 14: "The goal is to use all my psycho-physical energies to help my body overcome this phase of the disease, in order to be able to face new adventures as soon as possible and share them with all of you."

Italy boss Roberto Mancini described the death of Sinisa Mihajlovic as "not fair" as he hailed his great friend for showing the heart of a lion in his battle with leukaemia.

The pair were team-mates at Sampdoria and Lazio, with Mancini also coaching Mihajlovic at Lazio before taking the then 35-year-old with him to Inter in 2004.

They had a great bond, winning the Scudetto together with Sven-Goran Eriksson's team in 1999-2000, and doing so again at Inter in 2006, as player and coach.

Mihajlovic's death was announced on Friday, coming as a huge jolt to the football community in Italy, where the former Yugoslavia international spent most of his career.

After his playing days ended, Mihajlovic became Mancini's Inter assistant before having spells as a head coach with Bologna, Catania, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, Milan, Torino and, finally, Bologna for a second time.

During the 2015-16 season, Mancini and Mihajlovic were rival bosses in the same city as Mancini led Inter and Mihajlovic was in charge of Milan.

Mihajlovic was ousted as Bologna boss in September of this year, after a slow start to the season.

"This is a day I never wanted to live, because I lost a friend with whom I shared almost 30 years of my life, on and off the pitch," said Mancini, Italy's Euro 2020-winning head coach, in quotes reported by the Italian Football Federation's official website.

"It's not fair that such a terrible disease took away a 53-year-old lad, who fought like a lion until the last moment, as he was used to doing on the pitch.

"And this is exactly how Sinisa will always remain by my side, even if he is no longer there, as he did in Genoa [with Sampdoria], in Rome [with Lazio] and in Milan [at Inter] and subsequently also when we took different paths."

Mihajlovic was first diagnosed with leukaemia in 2019 and underwent a bone marrow transplant in October of that year, returning to the Bologna dugout just six weeks later.

When he discovered a problem in March of this year, former hard-man defender Mihajlovic said the leukaemia was "very courageous in returning to face an opponent like me".

Gianluca Vialli will temporarily step away from his role as delegation chief for the Italian national team to focus on his battle with pancreatic cancer.

Vialli announced he had undergone radiotherapy and chemotherapy in November 2018, having been diagnosed with the disease one year earlier.

The former Chelsea and Juventus forward was initially given the all-clear in April 2020, but announced he was fighting the disease again in December 2021.

Vialli was a visible presence alongside Roberto Mancini in the dugout as Italy won Euro 2020 last year, but the 58-year-old is now putting a temporary halt to his duties with the Azzurri.

"At the end of a long and difficult 'negotiation' with my wonderful team of oncologists, I have decided to suspend, hopefully temporarily, my present and future professional commitments," Vialli said in a statement released by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

"The goal is to use all my psycho-physical energies to help my body overcome this phase of the disease, in order to be able to face new adventures as soon as possible and share them with all of you."

FIGC president Gabriele Gravina said: "Gianluca is an absolute protagonist of the Italian national team and will be in the future as well. 

"Thanks to his extraordinary fortitude, to the Azzurro and to the affection of the whole federal family, I am convinced he will be back soon. 

"He can count on each of us, because we are a team, on and off the pitch."

Italy, who missed out on a place at Qatar 2022, return to action in March with their opening Euro 2024 qualifiers against England and Malta.

Brazil's World Cup shoot-out defeat by Croatia brought back memories of Italy's loss to the Selecao on penalties in the 1994 final for former Azzurri boss Arrigo Sacchi.

The five-time champions crashed out in the quarter-finals, as the 2018 finalists held their nerve from 12 yards to prevail 4-2 following a 1-1 draw at Education City Stadium.

Sacchi oversaw Italy's run to the 1994 showpiece at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, where Brazil denied them glory on penalties with Franco Baresi and Roberto Baggio notably shooting over the crossbar.

The 76-year-old Sacchi empathises with Tite's side, but also saluted the desire demonstrated by Croatia.

"The Croatians never gave up and hid the ball from the Brazilians," he wrote in his La Gazzetta Dello Sport column. "They were more determined than the Brazilians, who will now understand how much it hurts to lose on penalties.

"Unfortunately, I know something about it and I confess that, by watching the match on TV, I thought about the emotions and feelings of Pasadena in 1994."

Sacchi also offered his thoughts on Argentina's victory over the Netherlands, criticising La Albiceleste's approach after surrendering a 2-0 lead before recovering to prevail on penalties.

"I didn't see much quality in the first half - only when [Lionel] Messi had the ball, the lights turned on," he continued.

"Nobody wanted to take risks with five defenders for Argentina and five for the Netherlands. Van Gaal's teams are usually attacking-minded, but the Dutch were more defensive in this World Cup.

"When Argentina went 2-0 up, Van Gaal threw in his tall strikers, adding centimetres and battling physically. A right move, but Argentina made an unforgivable error. They should not have allowed the Dutch to go close to the goal, and keep a high line."

Italy midfielder Nicolo Barella claims the Azzurri should have been at the World Cup "by right" after being crowned European champions.

A stunning 1-0 defeat to North Macedonia in a play-off qualification game in March eliminated Italy, who were almost totally dominant but conceded the game's only goal in second-half stoppage time.

It meant four-time winners Italy have failed to qualify for two consecutive World Cups, unprecedented in their history, and Inter star Barella has felt unable to watch the tournament due to his gripe that he should be involved.

In fact, he suggested the latest winners of the European and South American championships should always be granted automatic places at the World Cup. Such a move would be unlikely to go down well with confederations from other continents, unless they were also cut in on such an arrangement.

Italy, who won the delayed Euro 2020 finals last year, remain devastated by their World Cup qualifying stumble.

"I haven't seen half a match of the World Cup yet, I can't understand the feeling I feel," Barella said.

"They say that the pitch is always right, but for me in this case it gave an unfair response. Today it was our turn, maybe tomorrow it will be the turn of others: whoever wins a European Championship or a Copa America deserves to go to a World Cup by right."

Barella's suggestion is similar to one from Roberto Mancini, the Italy head coach, last month. Mancini also said the champions of every continent should be awarded an automatic spot at the World Cup.

Barella hopes to go to the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States, and can see him remaining an Inter player through to that time.

A host of teams, including Chelsea and Liverpool from the Premier League, have been linked as possible suitors for Barella, who has a contract with Inter that runs through to 2026.

"We have to get there first," he said of the next World Cup, "but yeah, I see myself on the pitch in 2026 still as an Inter player."

Whether Milan Skriniar remains at Inter for so long must be in major doubt.

Paris Saint-Germain wanted him in the last transfer window and may come back in January, and the 27-year-old Slovakian centre-back is due to lapse out of contract at the end of the season.

Barella will let Skriniar make his own decisions about the future, insisting others should not play any part.

"I will never allow myself to give him advice," Barella said. "Everyone makes their choices. Then, at the end of his career, we will see if they were right or wrong. I hope he stays because in addition to being incredibly strong, he is a brother."

The Netherlands have been officially confirmed as hosts for the 2023 Nations League Finals.

The Oranje were widely expected to welcome their rivals to face them on home soil, as only them and Group A4 opponents Belgium, Poland and Wales expressed an interest in staging the knockout finale.

Having seen off the trio to qualify as group winners, the Netherlands will now welcome Croatia, Italy and Spain next year for the climax to the 2022-23 edition.

In the absence of the Johan Cruyff Arena and Philips Stadion due to concerts, the matches will be played instead at Feyenoord's De Kuip and De Grolsch Veste - the home of FC Twente.

The tournament commences with the semi-finals on June 14 and June 15, while the final and third-place play-off will take place on June 18.

The draw to determine the last-four pairings will be made at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon next January.

Argentina's World Cup hopes took a shuddering blow in their Qatar 2022 opener as they were sensationally beaten 2-1 by Saudi Arabia.

Having won the Copa America last year and embarked on a 36-match unbeaten run, La Albiceleste arrived in Qatar as one of the favourites to be crowned world champions.

Lionel Messi's penalty gave them an early lead in their first Group C match at Lusail Stadium, but second-half goals from Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari ensured Saudi Arabia pulled off a huge upset.

Here, Stats Perform takes a look at five of the other monumental World Cup shocks over the years.

Senegal 1-0 France (Korea/Japan 2002)

Perhaps the all-time upset in World Cup history, France headed to the 2002 edition four years on from a triumph on home soil with a squad brimming with talent and set on defending their crown.

Yet in the opening match, Les Bleus - without talisman Zinedine Zidane - were stunned by Senegal, the competition's lowest-ranked side, thanks to Papa Bouba Diop's first-half finish in Seoul.

France went on to finish bottom of Group A with just a draw against Uruguay to their name, and failing to score a single goal.

North Korea 1-0 Italy (England 1966)

Arriving in Europe for their first appearance at the World Cup, North Korea were widely expected to make an early exit after a defeat to the Soviet Union and a draw with Chile.

But Pak Doo-ik made history when his lone goal saw them shock two-time winners Italy at Ayresome Park in Middlesbrough.

North Korea have only been back to the World Cup once, at South Africa 2010, where they scored once and conceded a dozen, finishing bottom of Group G.

Cameroon 1-0 Argentina (Italy 1990)

This is not the first time La Albiceleste have been involved in one of the most unexpected results at a World Cup, having been stunned in the first match of their title defence over three decades ago.

Argentina arrived at Italia 90 looking to defend the crown Diego Maradona guided them to four years prior, but Francois Omam-Biyik's 67th-minute goal at San Siro left them shell-shocked.

USA 1-0 England (Brazil 1950)

Heading into their tournament debut in South America, England were fancied to make a big impact, particularly when they came up against a United States team dominated by part-timers.

But a goal for Joe Gaetjens made history for the USA, bringing England back down to earth after they started with a 2-0 win over Chile.

Walter Winterbottom's men were then on their way home after slumping to a 1-0 loss at the hands of Spain.

Northern Ireland 1-0 Spain (Spain 1982)

Fondly remembered four decades down the line, Northern Ireland's win against tournament hosts Spain ranks among the greatest in their history, as they defied the odds in Valencia.

Gerry Armstrong's goal early in the second half put then in front and although Mal Donaghy was shown a red card, Billy Bingham's team hung on to deliver an almighty upset.

Italy deserved to automatically qualify for the 2022 World Cup given their status as European champions, according to head coach Roberto Mancini.

Top seeds Italy finished second to Switzerland in their qualifying group and then suffered a shock loss to North Macedonia in March's play-off semi-final.

It means Italy have missed out on successive World Cups, having also failed to reach Russia 2018, though they did win Euro 2020 in between those qualifying disappointments.

However, Mancini insists the Azzurri should not have had to go through the qualifying process for Qatar on the back of conquering their continent last year.

"Not only the European champions but the winners in every continent," he added in an interview with Corriere Della Sera. "I am saying it for football's good. 

"Likewise, who won the title in the previous edition should always be involved. It used to be like this in the past. Football does not only make good decisions for itself."

Italy moved on from their World Cup heartbreak by advancing to next year's Nations League Finals, where they will be joined by Croatia, Spain and the Netherlands.

The longer-term aim for Mancini is to reach Euro 2024 and then the next World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico a little under four years from now.

Mancini, who is under contract with the Azzurri until after that tournament, said: "I stayed because I want to take revenge [by reaching the World Cup]. 

"But right now we can't look so far ahead. The 2026 World Cup is far away. Now we must focus on the Nations League Finals and the qualification for the Euros.

"I wanted to stay to chase the World Cup, but nothing is definitive in football and things can still change. We want to go to the next World Cup and hopefully win it."

Italy lost 2-0 to Austria in a friendly on Sunday and are next in action in four months' time when hosting England in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier.

Italy head coach Roberto Mancini has conceded that his 3-4-3 formation did not work as intended against Austria, as he criticised his side's poor first half display against the hosts.

The European champions finished 2022 with defeat in Vienna, where two first half goals from Xaver Schlager and David Alaba put the hosts in control.

A poor showing in the first period was improved upon after the break, but Italy could not break Austria's defence, though Mancini believes his side did enough to deserve praise.

"We were better in the second half, in the first half we had the ball and we had to score. After that we suffered, making so many technical mistakes. In the second half, all we were missing was a goal," he said post-match.

"The formation didn't go very well, we did little pressing with the strikers conceding too many spaces.

"The team was too long, we did badly and this penalised us a bit, but in the second half I saw a very good team. We were unlucky and a bit inaccurate."

Italy are not scheduled to be back in action until March, where the defence of their European crown begins with the first qualifying match against England in a rematch of the 2020 final.

David Alaba scored a stunning free-kick as Austria swept past Italy in comfortable fashion with a 2-0 friendly victory on Sunday.

On the day the World Cup started in Qatar, two nations who failed to qualify for the tournament locked horns at Ernst-Happel-Stadion.

Austria came out the blocks flying and Xaver Schlager gave them an early lead before Alaba fired home a fierce free-kick to double the advantage before the break.

Roberto Mancini made numerous changes at the break, but it did not change the European champions' fortunes as they were beaten in Viennna.

The hosts took the lead after just six minutes, Schlager winning possession from Marco Verratti and exchanging passes with Marko Arnautovic before smashing a shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Austria continued to apply the pressure, Nicolas Seiwald and Junior Adamu firing efforts off target, the latter then striking the post after Francesco Acerbi failed to clear the ball away.

Ten minutes before the interval, Austria's assault on the Italy goal paid off again when Alaba thundered an unstoppable free-kick from 20 yards in off the crossbar.

The second half began in the same fashion as the first, Marcel Sabitzer forcing two fine saves from Donnarumma, while Italy offered little until Giacomo Raspadori tested Heinz Lindner from close range.

Italy continued to dominate possession but could not pose enough of a threat in the final third, as Ralf Rangnick's side saw out another victory.

Roberto Mancini has tipped Argentina to win their third World Cup as Lionel Messi and team-mates chase glory in Qatar.

Mancini's Italy side will not be involved after a shock 1-0 play-off defeat to North Macedonia in March.

Italy's absence from Qatar comes despite them being the reigning European champions, having beaten England on penalties in the Euro 2020 final.

That triumph subsequently saw them face off against Argentina in the UEFA/CONMEBOL Finalissima at Wembley in June, after Lionel Scaloni's men won the Copa America.

Argentina comfortably beat Italy 3-0, and Mancini says that performance plays a part in him ranking them as favourites for the World Cup.

"There are many strong teams," Mancini told reporters. "If I had to choose one, I'd go for Argentina.

"They really impressed when we played each other."

Italy have won their last three matches as they look to get over World Cup disappointment, most recently seeing off Albania in a 3-1 friendly victory on Wednesday. They face another game against Austria on Sunday.

Mancini is still upset about the failure to reach Qatar, but he has been pleased with his team's reaction, saying: "We immediately showed a desire to fight back, winning a Nations League group that was by no means easy ahead of Germany, Hungary and England.

"Unfortunately, we’ll have to keep this suffering until mid-December when the tournament is over. Next time, we need to be more precise."

Francesco Totti bemoaned Italy's absence at the upcoming World Cup, describing the upcoming tournament in Qatar as like "going to Rome without seeing the Colosseum".

A shock play-off defeat to North Macedonia knocked the reigning European champions out of the running to qualify for international football's premier competition, the second consecutive World Cup they have failed to reach.

Only Brazil have won more World Cup titles than Italy's five, and Totti says they will be sorely missed in Qatar.

"The World Cup without Italy is like going to Rome without seeing the Colosseum," Totti told Sky Sport, "we're talking about a great national team.

"For us Italians it is a negative thing, but these are things that happen in football. It will always be a World Cup, we will watch it with interest."

Totti, who was selected to the All-Star team as Italy won the 2006 World Cup, pointed out the nations he feels can win the tournament, declaring: "France, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Germany.

"They are always the same, I don't see one over the other. Then they will play in winter, which is strange."

Roberto Mancini was full of praise for Vincenzo Grifo after he played a part in all three goals as Italy came from behind to beat Albania 3-1 in Wednesday's friendly.

A crashing Ardian Ismajli header put Albania ahead in the first half, but a pinpoint Grifo cross allowed Giovanni Di Lorenzo to equalise just four minutes later before the Freiburg man put Italy in front before the break.

Grifo added his second after half-time to kill off the match and secure a third straight win for the European champions since a 5-2 humbling at the hands of Germany in June.

Mancini was delighted with the 29-year-old's impressive performance, telling Rai Sport: "Vincenzo is an extraordinary boy. Grifo is a great player and in the Bundesliga, he is scoring many goals.

"[He is] a very good player, with important qualities. Today he scored two beautiful goals. The whole attack went well.

"You have to play in the best way whatever the moment. We have done good things by also changing the system, that went well."

It was not all good news for Italy as midfielder Sandro Tonali was taken off on a stretcher after an awkward fall in the latter stages of the first half.

But Mancini was positive after the match over Tonali's condition, saying: "He took quite a hit, but he was conscious and I hope to get him back soon."

A Vincenzo Grifo double and a Giovanni Di Lorenzo strike gave Italy a 3-1 comeback friendly victory over Albania in Tirana on Wednesday.

Roberto Mancini's men will not be at the World Cup in Qatar after a play-off defeat to North Macedonia, and they looked on course for another embarrassing loss here as Ardian Ismajli nodded Albania in front.

But Italy hit back almost immediately through Di Lorenzo, before Grifo added goals either side of half-time to secure victory.

It is now three straight wins for the European champions since their humiliating 5-2 thrashing at the hands of Germany in June, as they look to bounce back from their World Cup disappointment.

Italy started brightly, but they fell behind when Ismajli rose highest to meet Nedim Bajrami's free-kick, sending a sublime header crashing into the top right corner.

Albania's lead lasted just four minutes, as Grifo's pinpoint cross picked out Di Lorenzo in the middle to side-foot home.

Creator turned finisher for Italy's second, Giacomo Raspadori squaring for Grifo before the Freiburg man smashed superbly past Etrit Berisha to make it 2-1.

Nicolo Zaniolo hit the base of the post in first-half injury time as Italy looked to build their lead, though Albania clung on to get into the break just a goal behind.

Marash Kumbulla's header shortly after the interval tested Alex Meret, while Grifo nearly scored his second when he lashed the underside of the crossbar.

Albania then hit the woodwork twice themselves, Myrto Uzuni's looping effort beating Meret but not the upper frame of the goal before Bajrami saw a shot deflected onto the bar.

Grifo made it 3-1 after 64 minutes, controlling a cross and dispatching into the far corner to round off the scoring and cap his sensational display.

Roberto Mancini claims Italy are unfortunate not to be at the World Cup, labelling their defeat in qualifying to North Macedonia as "absurd".

The Azzurri faced North Macedonia in a play-off in Palermo in March, only to lose 1-0 thanks to a late Aleksandar Trajkovski strike, despite leading the shot count 32-4 by full time.

It meant Italy would not be present at this year's World Cup, which begins in Qatar on Sunday, but head coach Mancini has dismissed what was perceived as a significant failure from his team to get past comparative underdogs who they will also face in Euro 2024 qualifying.

"The match against Macedonia was an absurd match, which I believe happens once every 100 years and, unfortunately, it happened to us," Mancini said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"It will be a difficult month for us. In the bitterness we may feel at the moment, games have to be played, there are things to see and evaluate."

Italy will play friendlies against Albania and Austria on Wednesday and Sunday as they look ahead to Euro 2024 qualifying, where from March 2023 they will also face England, Ukraine and Malta in Group C.

"It's a pretty tough group, but there aren't any easy groups," Mancini said. "We'll have England right away and then we'll see, but we'll have to fight."

Mancini is one game away from equalling Marcello Lippi and Cesare Prandelli by taking charge of Italy for a 56th time, with only Vittorio Pozzo (95) and Enzo Bearzot (88) having led the team more often.

"I am pleased to join Marcello, who was a great coach, and Cesare," Mancini said. "We hope to do more even if it is long enough to get to the next two."