Giampiero Boniperti facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Giampiero Boniperti
Boniperti with Juventus between 1940s and 1950s
Born	(1928-07-04)4 July 1928 Barengo, Italy
Died	18 June 2021(2021-06-18) (aged 92) Turin, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Occupation	footballer company director politician
Years active	1946–1961 (as footballer) 1961–1990 (as company director) 1994–1999 (politician)
Employer	Juventus F.C.
Known for	FIFA 100 second highest goalscorer of Juventus see content for full awards and recognition
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Title	Juventus F.C. chairman
Term	1971–1990
Predecessor	Vittore Catella
Successor	Vittorio Caissotti di Chiusano
Relatives	Filippo Boniperti (grandson)
Member of the European Parliament
In office 1994–1999
Personal details
Political party	Forza Italia
Other political affiliations	Forza Europa (1994–1995) Union for Europe (1995–1998) European People's Party (1998–1999)
Giampiero Boniperti Personal information Playing position Striker Youth career 1944–1946 Juventus Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1946–1961 Juventus 443 (178) National team 1947–1960 Italy 38 (8) 1950 Italy B 1 (2) Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Giampiero Boniperti (born 4 July 1928 – died 18 June 2021) was a famous Italian footballer. He spent his entire 15-year playing career with Juventus from 1946 to 1961. During this time, he helped Juventus win five Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia cups.

Boniperti also played for the Italian national team. He took part in the 1950 and 1954 FIFA World Cup tournaments. He also represented Italy at the 1952 Summer Olympics. After he stopped playing football, Boniperti became a CEO and chairman for Juventus. Later, he even became a politician in the European Parliament.

Many experts, like Mario Sconcerti, believe Boniperti was one of the greatest players ever for both Italy and Juventus. Some, like Bruno Nicolè, even think he was Italy's best player of all time. For over 40 years, Boniperti held the record for most goals scored for Juventus, with 182 goals. This record was finally broken by Alessandro Del Piero in 2006. Del Piero also broke Boniperti's record of 443 Serie A appearances for Juventus in 2010. Boniperti is currently third in the club's all-time appearance list for Serie A, behind Del Piero and Gianluigi Buffon. In 2004, the legendary footballer Pelé named Boniperti as one of the world's top 125 greatest living footballers.

Playing for Juventus: A Club Legend

Giampiero Boniperti was born in Barengo, a town in Piedmont, Italy. He joined the famous Juventus club when he was just 16 years old. Even at a young age, he was known for scoring many goals. He once scored 11 goals in a single youth match!

Early Career and First Trophies

Boniperti played his first professional match for Juventus on March 2, 1947. It was a Serie A game against A.C. Milan, which Juventus lost 2-1. Three months later, he scored his first league goal against Sampdoria. In his first season (1946–47), Juventus finished second in the league. Boniperti scored five goals in six games.

In his second season, at only 20 years old, he scored an amazing 27 goals. This made him the league's top scorer, beating Valentino Mazzola. Boniperti won his first league championship with Juventus in the 1949–50 season. By his 24th birthday, he had already scored 100 goals for the club. He won his second scudetto (league title) in the 1951–52 season. In 1954, he became the team's captain.

The Magical Trio: A Golden Era

From left to right: Omar Sívori, John Charles and Boniperti, the attacking Magical Trio of Juventus in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

In 1957, Juventus signed two new forwards: John Charles and Omar Sívori. With Boniperti, they formed what was known as the Magical Trio. This trio led Juventus to great success.

In Boniperti's last four seasons before he retired, Juventus won the Serie A three times. These wins were in 1957–58, 1959–60, and 1960–61. They also won the Coppa Italia twice, in 1958–59 and 1959–60. When he retired, Boniperti was Juventus's all-time top goalscorer with 182 goals. This record stood for over 40 years until Alessandro Del Piero broke it in 2006.

Playing for Italy: International Appearances

Boniperti (left) as Italy captain, talking with the Italian coach Lajos Czeizler in 1954.

After playing only 14 games in Serie A, Boniperti was called to play for the Italy national football team. His first international game was on November 9, 1947, against Austria. Italy lost that match 5-1. A couple of years later, in May 1949, he scored his first goal for Italy in a 3-1 win against Austria.

Boniperti played 38 games for Italy and scored 8 goals. He was the team's captain in 24 of those games. He played for Italy in the 1950 and 1954 FIFA World Cup tournaments. He was also the captain in the 1954 World Cup. He also represented Italy at the 1952 Summer Olympics.

How Boniperti Played: His Style on the Field

Boniperti (right) training with Juventus in the 1951–52 season.

Boniperti was a very talented and creative forward. He was known for his excellent technique and ability to score goals. Many experts consider him one of the greatest Italian players ever. Alessandro Del Piero also believes he is one of Juventus's best players of all time.

He started his career as a striker, scoring many goals. He was good at scoring with both feet and his head. Later in his career, he played in deeper positions. He could play as a second striker, attacking midfielder, or even a winger. He was also known for his great ball control, vision, and passing skills. This allowed him to create many scoring chances for his teammates, like John Charles and Omar Sívori. Besides his skills, he was also a strong leader on the field.

Life After Football: From Player to Leader

Leading Juventus: A Club Executive

Soon after he stopped playing, the Agnelli family, who owned Juventus, offered Boniperti a job in the club's management. In 1981, he became the chairman of the board of directors. He held this important position for many years. He also served as one of the honorary chairmen of the club.

A Career in Politics

From 1994 to 1999, Boniperti was elected as a member of the European Parliament. He represented the centre-right political party Forza Italia. In this role, he helped make decisions for the European Union.

Personal Life and Legacy

Boniperti's grandson, Filippo Boniperti, also became a footballer. He played as a midfielder for Juventus and the Italy U19 team.

Giampiero Boniperti passed away in Turin on June 18, 2021, at the age of 92, due to heart failure. To honor him, the Italian national football team wore black armbands in their match against Wales on June 20, 2021, during the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.

Images for kids

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  Boniperti with Juventus between 1940s and 1950s

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  From left to right: Omar Sívori, John Charles and Boniperti, the attacking Magical Trio of Juventus at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s.

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  Boniperti (left) as Italy captain, in private with the Azzurri coach Lajos Czeizler in 1954.

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  Boniperti (right) in training with Bianconeri in the 1951–52 season

See also

In Spanish: Giampiero Boniperti para niños