Giampiero Boniperti

Giampiero Boniperti (born July 4, 1928 in Barengo, Piedmont) is an Italian former football player who played his entire career at Juventus between 1946 and 1961. He also played for the Italian national football team. After retirement from professional football, Boniperti has been a president of Juventus and a deputy to the European Parliament.

With 182 goals in all-competitions, he was the highest goalscorer in Juventus' history for more than 40 years, until his record was bested by Alessandro Del Piero on January 10, 2006. Notably, he is the ninth-highest goalscorer of all-time in Serie A and was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.

Boniperti signed for Juventus at age 16, he had already built himself a reputation prior to this at youth level, as he scored 11 goals in one match. At a try-out in which he scored seven goals, journalist Carlin proclaimed; "A boy wonder is born to Juve".

The youngster played his first match for the Old Lady in Serie A on March 2, 1947 against A.C. Milan, unfortunately for Boniperti it ended in a 2-1 defeat. His first goal for them in the league was three months later, against Sampdoria. Juventus ended the Serie A 1946-47 season as runners-up to local rivals Torino, Giampiero ended the season with 5 goals in 6 games to his name.

Although he began as a centre forward he was a flexible player, and could play also as an inside forward or on the right wing. His second season with Juventus really put him on the map, he was only just 20 years old, but scored 27 goals during that season, he finished above Valentino Mazzola as the league's topscorer.

Boniperti's first league championship with Juventus was during the 1949-50 season. His scoring rate remained prolific and by his 24th birthday he had scored 100 goals for the Turin giants, adding a second scudetto title to his name in 1951-52. For much of the 1950s Juve and Boniperti struggled to put the club back to the top of the Italian championship.

However, in 1957 La Vecchia Signora signed two forwards; John Charles and Omar Sivori, along with them Boniperti would be a part of what was referred to as "the Magical Trio". The three players excelled impeccably together, during last four seasons at the club Juventus dominated and won Serie A three times (1957-58, 1959-60 and 1960-61) and the Coppa Italia twice (1958-59 and 1959-60).

Retirement

By the time he retired Boniperti was Juventus' all-time top goalscorer with 182 in all competitions, this record would stand for over 40 years before Alessandro Del Piero broke it in the 2000s. Currently, Giampiero Boniperti is the second top goalscorer of all-time at Juventus and is sixth on the list of all-time top appearances for the club. He holds the record for most Serie A appearances at Juventus with 444 games.

A short while after his retirment, the Agnelli family gave him a managing role inside of the society, where he was President for many years; to this day he still has a role at the club as honorary president. From 1994 until 1999, Boniperti was elected as a deputy in the European Parliament with Forza Italia

International

After playing only 14 games in the Serie A league, Boniperti was called up to play for the Italian national football team, for a game against Austria, the match ended in a humiliating 5-1 drubbing to the Austrian side.

He got even with Austria a couple of years later, when in May 1949 he scored his first international goal for Italy, with a 3-1 victory. Although Boniperti's international career was not particularly great he did manage to achieve 38 caps (24 of which he played as captain) and scored 8 goals for the azzurri.

Honours

All with Juventus.

* 1949-50 Serie A
* 1951-52 Serie A
* 1957-58 Serie A
* 1958-59 Coppa Italia
* 1959-60 Serie A
* 1959-60 Coppa Italia
* 1960-61 Serie A