Farewell to Sergio Carpanesi, Serie A champion with Fiorentina, cup champion with Roma, and highly regarded coach

Italian soccer bids farewell to Sergio Carpanesi, who passed away at the age of 90. Born in La Spezia, Carpanesi was one of the key players on the Fiorentina team that won the historic Scudetto in the 1955–56 season. He was just 20 years old, and prior to his passing, he was the last surviving player from that Italian championship-winning team.

His talent was discovered by Fulvio Bernardini, who recognized the young man’s potential while he was playing for the “Carpanesi Boys,” the youth team where he had taken his first steps in the world of soccer.

Fiorentina decided to take a chance on him, investing 400,000 lire. His first-team debut came on May 13, 1956, in Ferrara, and it was immediately unforgettable: Carpanesi managed to score off an assist from Julinho.

Over the course of four seasons with Fiorentina, he made a total of 31 league appearances. His playing career then continued with Palermo, SPAL, Roma, Sampdoria, Anconitana, and Angelana. Among the trophies he won were the 1961 Fairs Cup and the Coppa Italia, which he won with Roma in 1964.

After retiring as a player, Carpanesi began a long coaching career, managing Maceratese, Lecco, Pisa, Monza, Prato, and Spezia. He left a particularly lasting impression in Prato thanks to the team’s Serie C2 championship victory in the 1982–83 season.

But it is above all to the history of Spezia that his name remains deeply linked. Carpanesi led the “Aquilotti” from 1985 to 1990, then returned to the Bianconeri bench between 1995 and 1997. Above all, the fans remember the feat of the 1985–86 season, which culminated in promotion from Serie C2 to Serie C1.

It was an achievement attained under particularly difficult circumstances. Due to the club’s bankruptcy, in fact, the team played the entire season without receiving their salaries. Despite such a complicated situation, Carpanesi managed to keep the team united and lead it to second place in the standings, turning that season into one of the most significant chapters in the club’s history.

The decisive day came on June 1, 1986. At the Picco Stadium, in front of thousands of fans, Spezia drew 2-2 against Pistoiese and mathematically secured promotion to Serie C1. This achievement ensured that Carpanesi and that team would be remembered by the Spezia fans.

The final farewell to Sergio Carpanesi is scheduled for Wednesday, September 23, at 3:30 p.m., at the Salesian church on Via Gioberti in Florence.