Mario Ielpo was born in Rome on June 8, 1963.
He started his footballing career in the Lazio youth teams and in 1984 he was sent on loan to Siena in Serie C in order to gain experience. He came back the following year and was promoted to second goalkeeper behind Astutillo Malgioglio. Following a bad year for the former Roma player, which ended with him spitting on the Lazio jersey after the Biancocelesti lost 4-3 at home to Vicenza, basically the last possible bus for Serie A that season, he became the main goalkeeper and played 19 games. But for the following season, the new manager, Eugenio Fascetti, wanted an experienced keeper since the situation was a difficult one with Lazio given a docking of 9 points in Serie B following the alleged involvement of Claudio Vinazzani in a match fixing scandal. Ielpo made only three appearances (only one in Serie B) and at the end of the season he was sold to Cagliari. Lazio avoided Serie C with a goal by Giuliano Fiorini seven minutes to the end of the last game of the season which took the Biancocelesti to a playoff where, in another dramatic match, a Fabio Poli goal allowed Lazio to stay in Serie B. Ielpo was on the bench in both of those matches.
At Cagliari, Ielpo did very well and stayed for five years. He made 205 league appearances taking the Sardinians to a UEFA Cup qualification in 1992-93. He then signed for AC Milan but in three years made only 3 league appearances. He did however use the “free” time to finish his degree in law. In 1996 he signed for Genoa and stayed for two years with 55 league appearances. In 1998 he quit football.
Since then he has worked as a lawyer in Milan with a little punditry on the side for some Lombard private channels.
Ielpo was a good goalkeeper, tall, and strong. It was a pity he did not stay at Lazio, he would certainly have been an asset.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances | Serie B | Coppa Italia |
1985-86 | 19 | 19 | - |
1986-87 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Total | 22 | 20 | 2 |
Sources
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