After a long illness, the former Roma and Italy Under 21 defender passes away
The world of football says goodbye to Gianluca Cherubini. At just 52 years old, after a long illness, the former Roman defender passed away in these hours. Alessandro Battisti, former Chieti captain and sporting director, announced the news on Facebook. “There are no words. A life at 220 km per hour, always in the balance and on the edge of the ravine. I will miss you”, the post of Cherubini’s former partner who also wore the shirts of Roma, Reggiana and Vicenza as well as that of the national under 21 team five times.
the illness
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Cherubini played under the guidance of Mazzone in 1995, together with a very young Totti. Used both as a defender and as a midfielder, he showed great promise, but after just one season Roma decided to send him back to Reggiana also due to his character. However, his future in football seemed rosy and brilliant, but despite 5 appearances in the Under 21 national team (he won the 1994 European Championship as a starter, with Cannavaro, Panucci, Inzaghi, Vieri…), Cherubini never exploded: due to his temperament, of course, but also for something else. The beginning of his collapse occurred in 2006 when he suffered a fulminant cerebral aneurysm during the Novara-Giulianova. Cherubini seriously risked his life and remained in a coma for 12 days. Once he recovered, it seemed he was going to end his career as a footballer. In fact, in 2007-08 he took up the role of coach: alongside Giampiero Maini he was assistant coach of Stella Polare, the Promotion team. Then surprisingly he started playing for a season at Chieti but he was never the same again. And after his farewell to football he returned to the newspapers for numerous news stories.
the problems
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In 2010 he was reported in Ostia for biting the ear of a love rival in Mike Tyson style. However, what was discovered by the Anti-Mafia was more serious: he was part of a criminal organization that operated on the Holland-Italy axis, based in Villa Gordiani. In June 2014 he was arrested for illegal possession of a weapon and receiving stolen goods because he was caught in Tor di Nona (southern suburb of Rome) while he was walking around with a 765 caliber pistol which turned out to be stolen. Initial checks revealed that the weapon was the result of a theft reported by the legitimate owner. A year later he was arrested as he was accused of being part of a dangerous criminal organisation, responsible for criminal association aimed at international drug dealing, possession of weapons and explosives, personal injury, extortion, receiving stolen goods, money laundering and financial crimes.
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