Paolo Ferrario was born in Milan on March 1 1942.
At eight years old he entered the Milan academy and in 1959-60 joined the first team squad while also winning two prestigious Viareggio youth tournaments in 1959 and 1960.
Milan were reigning champions but finished 3rd under Luigi Bonizzoni. Ferrario played 5 league games, 2 in Italo-French Friendship Cup with 1 goal (Toulouse) and 1 game in the European Cup with 1 goal (Barcelona at Camp Nou in 1-5 defeat).
In 1960-61 he played for Lazio on loan. The manager was first Fulvio Bernardini (1-10) and then Enrique Flamini (10-34) but it was a terrible season and Lazio were relegated for the first time. The best result was beating Roma 2-1. The Biancocelesti reached the final of Coppa Italia but lost 0-2 to Fiorentina. Ferrario played 7 league games with 1 goal (Juventus) and 1 game in Coppa Italia.
In 1961-62 he returned to Milan but almost immediately came back to Lazio on loan. In Serie B the managers were Paolo Todeschini (1-21), Bob Lovati (22-27) and then Carlo Facchini (28-38). Lazio narrowly missed out on promotion by one point and a fair amount of controversy. In March they had a perfectly good goal disallowed against Napoli when the referee, against all evidence, claimed the ball had not gone in but in and out through a hole in the net. Napoli later got promoted by one point. Ferrario again played 7 league games with 1 goal (winner against Messina away) and 1 game in Coppa Italia.
In 1962-63 he went to Simmenthal Monza on loan in Serie B. In Brianza he played more regularly, 27 league games and scored an impressive 17 goals. Monza finished 9th.
In 1963-64 he was ready to return to Milan where he stayed three seasons. The Rossoneri finished 3rd, 2nd and 7th. Ferrario played a total of 33 league games with 16 goals ,1 game in Coppa Italia and 1 in the Fairs Cup with 1 goal (his best year was 1964-55 when he played 20 league games and scored 12 goals). The managers were Luis Carniglia and then Nils Liedholm the first year, Liedholm the second and Liedholm and Giovanni Cattozzo alternated in the third. His teammates included Lazio connections Giuliano Fortunato (1967-72) plus greats such as Giovanni Trapattoni, Giovanni Lodetti, Cesare Maldini, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, Gianni Rivera and José Altafini.
In 1966-67 he joined Cesena for a year. The Bianconeri were in Serie C and finished top and promoted. Ferrario played 22 league games and scored 13 goals.
In 1967-68 he spent a season at Bologna in Serie A. The Rossoblu finished 5th but Ferrario only played 6 league games with 2 goals (Cagliari, Vicenza). The managers were Luis Carniglia, Giuseppe Viani and then Cesarino Cervellati. His teammates included former Lazio, Franco Janich (1958-61) and future Lazio, Sergio Clerici (1977-78).
In 1968-69 he played for Perugia in Serie B. The Umbri finished 8th under Guido Mazzetti. Ferrario played 21 league games and was top scorer with 6 goals. His teammates included former and future Lazio. Costantino Fava (1967-68, 1970 and 1971) plus future Italian champion with Lazio, Luigi Polentes (1969-77).
In 1969 Ferrario went back to Cesena and stayed three seasons. The "Cavallucci" (Seahorses) were in Serie B and finished 11th, 16th and 6th. Ferrario played 73 league games with 21 goals plus 3 games in Coppa Italia. The managers included Cesarino Cervellati, Luigi Bonizzoni, Giovan Battista Fabbri and Luigi Radice. One of his teammates was future Lazio, Paolo Ammoniaci (1975-79).
In 1972-73 he spent a season at Ternana in Serie A but only played 4 league games and the Rossoverdi were relegated under Corrado Viciani. His teammates included Lazio connection, Giorgio Mastropasqua (1980-82) plus future world champion in 1982, Franco Selvaggi.
Ferrario then played for Bellaria (Rimini) in 1973-74 in the Serie C, playing 10 league games with no goals and then his last club was Novese (Novi Ligure) in Serie C where he played 24 league games with 9 goals but the Biancocelesti were relegated.
At 33 he retired.
In his youth he played 6 games for Italy U21's with 6 goals. He won the Mediterranean Games in 1963.
He then had a long managerial career. He started in the Cesena and Milan youth sectors. He then had spells at Messina (1979, C2, sacked), Teramo (1980-81, C2, 5th), Venezia (1982, 5th tier, sacked), Ravenna (1982-83, C2, 12th), Conegliano (1983, 5th tier, sacked), Ospitaletto (1983-85, C2, 3rd and 3rd), Rondinella (1985-86, C1, 12th), Trento (1986-88, C1, 9th and 9th), Modena (1988-89, C1, 5th), Rimini (1990, C2, sacked), Trento (1990-91, C1, relegation), Ospitaletto (1993-95, C2, 2nd and promotion, 17th in C1 and relegation), Novara (1995-97, C2, 1st and promotion, 17th in C1 and relegation), Brescia (1996-97, U19's), Brescia (1997-98, A, from 11th game to 31st, sacked), Triestina (1998, C2, sacked), Cesena (2000-01, C1, briefly between two other managers) and finally Olbia (2007, C2, sacked). Not a memorable career but with two promotions and could say he coached Andrea Pirlo (Brescia '97-98).
Ferrario was a striker. He was nicknamed "Ciapina" (after a famous partisan turned criminal, Ugo Ciapina) due to his goal poaching abilities (in Italian these types of opportunist goals are called "gol di rapina", literally robbery goals). His best season was with Milan in 1964-55 and he previously had the privilege of scoring at the famous Camp Nou in Barcelona. He played a total of 56 Serie A games with 19 goals and 128 in B with 46 goals.
He was with Lazio for two seasons on loan. They were difficult years with a relegation and a failed promotion chase (not helped by a bizarre refereeing decision). He failed to really leave a mark in the capital, playing a total of 16 games and scoring 2 goals.
Lazio Career
Season | Total games | Serie A | Serie B | Coppa Italia |
1959-60 | 1 | - | - | 1 |
1960-61 | 8 (1) | 7 (1) | - | 1 |
1961-62 | 8 (1) | - | 7 (1) | 1 |
Total | 17 (2) | 7 (1) | 7 (1) | 3 |
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