The sixth episode of ‘11 volte Cornaredo’ is now online; the series revisits some of the most memorable evenings experienced at the historic bianconeri stadium. The star of the new episode is Giuseppe ‘Pino’ Manfreda, a striker who came through the Club’s youth ranks and made his first-team debut at just 17 years of age. Wearing the bianconeri shirt, he played 193 matches and scored 42 goals, establishing himself as one of the most recognisable faces of his generation. During his career, Manfreda also played for Sion and Neuchâtel Xamax, winning the Swiss title with the Valais-based side in 1992.
FROM THE ACADEMY TO THE FIRST TEAM
In this episode, Manfreda looks back on his connection with the Club and with Cornaredo, starting from the very beginning. Even before his first-team matches, in fact, there was the young lad who used to watch that pitch from the youth teams and dream of playing there one day. This is why the episode takes on an even more personal significance: it contains not only the memory of a great summer friendly, but the journey of a youth academy player who saw his dream take shape right here at Cornaredo.
JUVENTUS AT CORNAREDO
The heart of the episode is the evening of 13 August 1996, when Juventus, fresh from winning the 1995/96 Champions League, arrived at Cornaredo. The friendly ended 1-1: the Turin side took the lead in the first half, before Bugnard equalised in the closing stages. For Manfreda, finding himself face to face with champions he had previously only seen on television remains, even today, an immense thrill – the sort that, as he himself says, ‘is priceless’.
In his account, however, it is not just the allure of the great rival that stands out. There is also the pride of a team coming off the back of successful seasons and a squad in which many young players from the academy had made their first-team debuts, welcomed with enthusiasm by the Lugano fans. It is precisely for this reason that the memory of that evening against Juventus is intertwined with that of Bugnard’s goal, which remains etched in Manfreda’s memory as the defining image of a special night.
Yet, alongside the pride, the contrast of a season marked by intense emotions and a bitter ending also resurfaces. Manfreda himself emphasises just how peculiar it is to look back today on that prestigious draw against the European champions, knowing that the season would ultimately end in relegation. It is this very contrast that gives the episode its significance: football, at times, can weave enthusiasm, pride and disappointment into the same narrative.
A FAREWELL TO CORNAREDO
Once again, it is Cornaredo that ties everything together, a place central to Pino’s memories, first as a fan and then as a player. For him, that stadium meant anticipation, growth, his breakthrough into the first team and so many emotions experienced in the black-and-white shirt. It is no coincidence that his final farewell is simple and direct: “Dear Cornaredo, thank you for giving me so many emotions.”
Watch the full episode of “11 volte Cornaredo” with Giuseppe ‘Pino’ Manfreda below.