Barengo, near Novara, has about 700 inhabitants today. Giampiero Boniperti started there: at 18 he was at Juventus, where he scored 178 Serie A goals.
The village
Boniperti was born in Barengo on 4 July 1928. He played for Barengo in 1945-46, then for Momo Novarese.
Juventus
In September 1946 he joined Juventus. On 2 March 1947, aged 18, he made his Serie A debut against Milan.
With Juventus he scored 178 Serie A goals and won five league titles. For Italy he played 38 games and scored 8 goals, including at the 1950 and 1954 World Cups.
After playing
He retired on 10 June 1961, at 33. From 1971 to 1990 he was Juventus president.
What you can learn if you're a striker
The tips below are ideas taken from this story, not promises: every career is different.
- A small village doesn't close the road: you start with your home club.
- The big step comes from playing well for local clubs: that's where people see you.
- You can stay in football afterwards: as a director, a coach, a scout.
Sources
Facts checked on 30 September 2026 against public sources. No sentence is invented or put in the player's mouth. Found a mistake? Write to us.