Luigi Ferrero (26 February 1904 – 29 October 1984) was an Italian professional footballer and manager. He played as a forward and later achieved notable success as a coach, most famously leading Torino to two consecutive Serie A titles in the immediate post-war period.
Playing Career
Born in Turin, Ferrero began his career in the youth ranks of Juventus, making his senior debut for the club on 19 March 1922. He played for Juventus until 1925, then moved to Libertas Lucca (1926–1927) and Pistoiese (1927–1930). In 1930 he joined Ambrosiana-Inter, the reigning Italian champions featuring Giuseppe Meazza. After two seasons he was transferred to Bari, where he played for five years and helped the club earn promotion to Serie A in the 1934–35 season. He concluded his playing career with Torino (1937–1940).
Managerial Career
Ferrero began managing immediately after retiring as a player. His managerial appointments included:
- Bari (1940–1941) – alongside technical director Raffaele Costantino
- Pescara (1941–1943)
- Torino (1945–1947) – appointed by Ferruccio Novo, he managed the legendary Grande Torino squad and won two consecutive Serie A titles (1945–46 and 1946–47)
- Fiorentina (1947–1951, 1958–1959, 1967–1968 as technical director) – over four seasons he brought the club to the upper half of the table; in 1958 he lost the Coppa Italia final
- Lucchese (1951–1952)
- Atalanta (1952–1954)
- Hellas Verona (1954)
- Lazio (1955–1956) – managed alongside Roberto Copernico, leaving in January 1956
- Inter Milan (1956–1957) – replaced by Annibale Frossi after 25 matchdays
- SPAL (1960–1961) – where he gave debuts to several young players
- Prato (1963–1964) – in Serie B
Honours
As a player:
- Juventus: Prima Divisione champion (1925–26)
As a manager:
- Torino: Serie A champion (1945–46, 1946–47)
Personal
Ferrero was born in Turin and died in Turin on 29 October 1984. He is buried in the Monumental Cemetery of Turin. (Note: Some sources list his date of birth as 26 December 1904 rather than 26 February 1904.)
