Ciro Ferrara

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

A native of Naples, Ferrara began his career with the youth system of hometown club Napoli in 1980. He graduated from the primavera youth squad in 1984 and began to earn first-team call-ups that season. He made 14 total appearances with the club in his first full season. The following season, Ferrara became a part of the starting XI, and he soon began earning call-ups to the Italy national team, making the squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. With Napoli he won two Serie A titles (in 1986–87 and 1989–90), the 1987 Coppa Italia final, and the 1990 Supercoppa Italiana (played in 1991). In the summer of 1994, Ferrara transferred to Juventus under coach Marcello Lippi. He was part of the squad but did not serve as captain; Gianluca Vialli and later Antonio Conte held the armband. Throughout his Juventus career, Ferrara played an important role in the club's backline. He retired from football in May 2005 at age 38. Following Juventus' involvement in the 2006 Italian football scandal, Juventus' 2004–05 title was later revoked.

In Their Own Story

In the 1989 UEFA Cup final, Ferrara scored one of Napoli's goals as they won the trophy. He also won the 1990 Supercoppa Italiana over his future team, Juventus. At international level, he earned 49 caps for Italy, debuting in June 1987 against Argentina. He represented Italy at the 1988 Summer Olympics (finishing fourth after reaching the semi-final), at two UEFA European Championships (1988 and 2000), and at the 1990 World Cup. As an assistant coach to Marcello Lippi, he won the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy. His most recent position was as manager of Wuhan Zall; he also previously coached Juventus and the Italy under-21 team.

Reader's Guide

Ferrara was known for his composure, anticipation, technical ability, and versatility as a defender. Although primarily a centre-back, he was capable of playing across the back line, including as a man-marker or as a right-back. He is regarded as one of the leading Italian centre-backs of his generation. Welsh former winger Ryan Giggs described Ferrara and his defensive teammate at Juventus, Paolo Montero as '...the toughest defenders [he] played against'. Polish former midfielder Zbigniew Boniek stated that Ferrara was the best defender that he ever faced. Ferrara was considered to be an experienced, consistent, cautious and successful defender, with a good positional sense, who was quick, athletic, strong in the air, a good tackler, and someone who excelled at reading the game and marking his opponents. In addition to his defensive skills, he was also known for his offensive contribution as a centre-back, and he was also capable of playing as a sweeper. He was known to be a fair and correct player, and for his professionalism, leadership, strong personality, and his commanding presence both on the pitch and in the dressing room.

Did You Know?

• Ferrara won eight Serie A championships: six with Juventus and two with Napoli.
• He was part of the Italian technical staff that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
• Ferrara helped establish a charity foundation with Fabio Cannavaro for cancer research in Naples.

Naples Roots and Early Glory

A native of Naples, Ferrara began his career with the youth system of hometown club Napoli in 1980. He graduated from the primavera youth squad in 1984 and began to earn first-team call-ups that season, making 14 total appearances in his first full season. The following season, he became a part of the starting XI. He scored one of Napoli's goals as they won the 1989 UEFA Cup final. With Napoli he won two Serie A titles (1986–87 and 1989–90), the 1987 Coppa Italia, and the 1990 Supercoppa Italiana, the latter over his future team, Juventus.

A Decade of Dominance at Juventus

In the summer of 1994, Ferrara transferred to Juventus under Marcello Lippi, making over 40 total appearances in his first season, scoring one goal. He captained the team from 1995 to 1996. He won six Serie A titles with Juventus, two Coppa Italia titles (one with each team), three Supercoppa Italiana titles (two with Juventus, one with Napoli), the UEFA Champions League (1995–96), the UEFA Intertoto Cup (1999), the UEFA Super Cup (1996), and the Intercontinental Cup (1996). He retired in May 2005 at age 38, making just four Serie A appearances in his final season.

International Distinction and Tactical Versatility

Ferrara earned 49 caps for Italy, debuting in June 1987 against Argentina. He represented Italy at the 1988 Summer Olympics (fourth place after reaching the semi-final), at two UEFA European Championships (1988 and 2000), and at the 1990 World Cup. He was known for his composure, anticipation, technical ability, and versatility as a defender, capable of playing as a centre-back, man-marker, or right-back. Ryan Giggs described Ferrara and Paolo Montero as '...the toughest defenders [he] played against.' Zbigniew Boniek stated Ferrara was the best defender he ever faced.

Transition to Management and Coaching Legacy

Ferrara was part of the Italian technical staff for the 2006 World Cup, which Italy won. He then became youth system chief at Juventus. In July 2008, he took the UEFA Pro License coaching badges. On 18 May 2009, he was named interim head coach of Juventus for the remaining two weeks of the season, leading them to 3–0 and 2–0 wins over Siena and Lazio. On 5 June 2009, he was appointed manager for the 2009–10 season but was sacked after a Coppa Italia loss to Inter. On 22 October 2010, he became head coach of the Italy under-21 team. On 2 July 2012, he left to coach Sampdoria but was sacked on 17 December 2012. His most recent position was as manager of Wuhan Zall.