Franco Ossola

Franco Ossola (23 August 1921 – 4 May 1949) was an Italian footballer who played as a forward.

Franco Ossola
Franco Ossola (right) with Cesare Gallea (left) and Antonio Janni (center)
Personal information
Full name Franco Ossola
Date of birth (1921-08-23)23 August 1921
Place of birth Varese, Italy
Date of death 4 May 1949(1949-05-04) (aged 27)
Place of death Superga, Italy
Position(s) Wing Forward
Youth career
Varese
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1938–1939 Varese 9 (3)
1939–1949 Torino 176 (86)
Total 184 (89)
International career
1943 Italy U21 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

With 85 goals, Ossola is the ninth highest scorer in the history of Torino behind Adolfo Baloncieri (100). He died on 4 May 1949 in the Superga air disaster when the Fiat G.212 which carried the celebrated Grande Torino team crashed into the retaining wall of the Basilica di Superga. The Stadio Franco Ossola in Varese is named after him.

His half-brother was Aldo Ossola, basketball player of the Ignis Varese in the 1970s.

Club career

Varese

Noticed as a young boy by the coach of Varese, Antonio Janni, he played for the senior team in Serie C. Initially, Janni did not allow him to play as he intended to sell him to Serie A club Torino, but was forced to send him on the pitch because of a starting player's injury. Janni contacted Ferruccio Novo, the president of Torino, who bought him for 55,000 lire.

Torino

At Torino he arrived at the age of 18 in 1939 and debuted in Serie A on 4 February 1940. Early in his career at Torino he suffered from the presence of Pietro Ferraris, who occupied the left wing. He eventually became a starter with the number 11 jersey, and played 181 games and scored 85 goals in Serie A, the 1944 Campionato Alta Italia and the National Division.

He was buried at the Cimitero Monumentale in Turin.

Career statistics

Club
Season Team League Appearances Goals
1938–39VareseC93
1939–40TorinoA40
1940–41A2215
1941–42A137
1942–43A126
1944–45CAI2414
1945–46DN3011
1946–47A2913
1947–48A179
1948–49A2511
Total Torino 176 86
Total career 185 89

Honours

Club
Torino

Trivia

Franco Ossola was played by Gualtiero Burzi in the television miniseries The Grande Torino.

  • Dario Marchetti (eds.), Franco Ossola in Enciclopediadelcalcio.it, 2011.
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