(Reuters) - Former Italy and Juventus striker Gianluca Vialli has said he is "very well" after a secret year-long battle with cancer.
The 54-year-old told Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera that his body had responded well to treatment.
"(I am) Well, indeed very well. It's been a year and I'm back to having a beastly physique," Vialli said.
"But I still have no certainty of how the game will end. I hope my story can serve to inspire people at the crucial intersection of life."
Vialli made his name at Sampdoria before spending four years at Juventus where he won the Champions League in 1996. He then joined Chelsea, scoring 48 goals in 78 appearances for the London Premier League club before becoming their manager.
"Life is made up of 10 percent of what happens to us, and 90 percent of how we handle it. I hope that my story can help others to deal with what is happening in the right way," Vialli added.
(Reporting by Christian Radnedge,; Editing by Ed Osmond)