Giuseppe Biava was born in Seriate (Bergamo) on 8 May, 1977. He was a product of the Leffe youth sector. His first years as a professional were spent at local clubs Albinese (1995-1998) and Albinoleffe (1998-2000). He then spent a year at Biellese before returning to Albinoleffe (2001-2003). At Albinoleffe he was part of the historic promotion to Serie B of 2003 and halfway through the next season, in January 2004, he signed for Palermo.
In Sicily he won promotion to Serie A where the “Rosanero Eagles” had been missing for 31 years. The following year Palermo and Biava qualified for the UEFA Cup with a fantastic 6th place finish. He played 4 years in Palermo making 112 appearances and scoring 3 times. In 2008 he moved to Genoa and in his first year under coach Gian Piero Gasperini the “Grifone” had a superb season arriving 4th, only missing out on a Champions League playoff on goal difference to Fiorentina.
In February 2010 Biava signed for Lazio and in those first 4 months played 13 times. It was in the next season that he would definitely assert himself in the centre of the “Capitolini's” defence. His first goal for Lazio came against Inter on 3 December. In the right place at the right time Biava scored with his hip after an Inter defender tried to clear the line. He would play 35 games that season contributing to a solid 5th place. In March 2012 Biava renewed his contract with Lazio until 30 June 2013 and in the 2011-12 campaign played 26 league games and 5 in Europa League.
In 2012-13 Biava continued to be a key man in the heart of Lazio's defence and would play 31 league games, 8 in Europa League and 4 in Coppa Italia. He is one of the heroes of the famous 26 May final against city rivals Roma, an unforgettable moment in Lazio's history. The Lazio fans have 4 sacred teams; the first scudetto team of 1974, the -9 penalisation team of 1987, the second scudetto team of 2000 and the Coppa Italia winning team of 2013. Biava played a fundamental role in that match pairing up with Albanian Lorik Cana to keep the likes of Francesco Totti, Erik Lamela, Daniel Osvaldo and Daniele De Rossi at bay. He played an impeccable derby and deservedly won himself an eternal place in all Laziali's hearts.
After the Cup triumph Biava renewed his contract for one more season at the end of which he returned home up north and joined Atalanta. At Atalanta he played one final year with 18 appearances and 2 goals.
Giuseppe Biava was an excellent defender. He was not particularly tall (1.80) but was nevertheless good in the air. He was an elegant and intelligent player. He was clean and precise, his main asset being his reading of the game and his timing. He was not flamboyant or showy, he played straight backed and was quick and accurate in his tackling. He scored goals too, 23 in 587 games, one an epic “Ibra like” scorpion acrobatic for Palermo in 2006. He was no superstar though, a quiet presence, he was rarely interviewed or in the headlines but he will always be one of the unsung heroes at Lazio.
Today Biava is still in his local area of Bergamo and starting out in a coaching career. After coaching their youth team, he has recently been promoted to first team manager of Albinoleffe for the 2022-23 season.
He played a total of 148 games for Lazio (125 in Serie A, 7 in Coppa Italia, 15 in Europa League and one Super Coppa Final) and six goals, all in Serie A.
Lazio career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Europa League | Super Coppa |
Jan-Jun 2010 | 14 | 13 | 1 | - | - |
2010-2011 | 36 (3) | 35 (3) | 1 | - | - |
2011-2012 | 31 (1) | 26 (1) | - | 5 | - |
2012-2013 | 43 (1) | 31 (1) | 4 | 8 | - |
2013-14 | 24 (1) | 20 (1) | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Total | 148 (6) | 125 (6) | 7 | 15 | 1 |
Sources
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