Bruno Pesaola
- Simon Basten
- Dec 10
- 3 min read
Bruno Pesaola was born in Buenos Aires in 1925 to a family of Italian emigrants growing up in a football culture that prized flair, street-honed creativity and a deep sense of play.
He started his career with River Plate, though he never broke fully into the first team. He then went on to play for Almagro and from 1944 to 1946 with Dock Sud managing to make it to the first eleven even if the club was last in the Argentinian League.
With post-war Italy rebuilding, the 18-year-old winger accepted an offer to move to the country of his family origin. In 1947, he signed for Roma, beginning a long and profound connection with Italian football. In his first season he scored 11 goals in 38 appearances, 8 in his second in 35 games. His third season was marred by two serious injuries. Dejected he went on loan to Novara and played alongside Silvio Piola who convinced him not to go back to Argentina and to stay in Italy. He stayed two years in Piedmont, both in Serie A, playing 64 league games and scoring 15 goals. Unable to go back to Roma because by that time they had been relegated, he signed for Napoli. Here he found a true home. He quickly won over supporters with his technique, bravery on the ball and instinctive understanding of the city’s exuberant football culture.
Over seven seasons, he made 240 league appearances, scoring decisive goals and forging a bond with supporters that would endure long after his retirement. Despite Napoli’s fluctuating fortunes during those years, Pesaola remained a constant: a player who represented both the artistry and resilience of the club.
In 1960 he was forced to leave Naples due to conflicts with the manager Amedeo Amadei, and he signed with Genoa in Serie B, contributing to saving the club from relegation. His last professional year was with Scafatese as player-manager.
Pesaola played one game for the Italian national team and six with the B squad.
Once he stopped playing, Pesaola became a manager. In January 1962, with Napoli in Serie B he took over from Fioravante Baldi and not only led Napoli to promotion but also won the Coppa Italia, the first silverware of the club and the first Serie B team to do so. His second season was less fortunate and the Partenopei were relegated. After a brief period with Campania, in 1964 he went back to Napoli, took them back into Serie A, won an Alps Cup in 1966 and reached second place in 1967-68.
In the next season he became head coach for Fiorentina and immediately won the scudetto. He stayed two more years before being sacked in 1971.
In 1972 he became head coach for Bologna and he stayed four years winning a Coppa Italia. In 1976-77 he returned to Napoli winning the Anglo-Italian League Cup. Back in Bologna from 1977 to 1979, he was then head coach for Panathinaikos and Siracusa. In 1982 he went back to Napoli to help them out as they were in troubled waters avoiding relegation. His last managerial job was for Campania in 1984-85.
Pesaola believed that football should be expressive but structured, poetic yet disciplined. His teams played with width, invention and collective rhythm — qualities that made them admired throughout Italy.
He was also known for his warm personality, quick humour and ability to connect with players across cultures and generations. For many who worked under him, he was a mentor as much as a tactician.
Though he held various technical and ambassadorial roles in his later life, Pesaola remained above all a beloved elder statesman of Neapolitan football. He lived in the city for decades, often appearing at club events, youth academies and local community gatherings.
He died in Naples on May 29, 2015
Bruno Pesaola’s legacy endures in the stories told by supporters, the tactical ideas he helped pioneer and the generations of players shaped by his influence. To the footballing world he was a gifted winger and title-winning coach. To Naples, he was something more enduring: a symbol of loyalty, artistry and the shared spirit between a club and its people.
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