Franco Lerda

Franco Lerda

Personal information
Full name	Franco Lerda
Date of birth	(1967-08-19) August 19, 1967
Place of birth	Fossano, Italy
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1977–1979	Fossanese
1979–1980	Saviglianese
1980–1981	Centallo
1981–1983	Cuneo
1983–1985	Torino
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1985–1987	Torino	19	(1)
1987–1988	Messina	29	(2)
1988–1989	Taranto	32	(3)
1989–1990	Triestina	29	(6)
1990–1991	Chievo	32	(8)
1991–1993	Cesena	74	(25)
1993–1994	Brescia	33	(6)
1994–1995	Napoli	12	(0)
1995–1996	Brescia	16	(2)
1996–1998	Atletico Catania	40	(8)
1998	Alessandria	8	(1)
1998–2002	Cuneo	115	(73)
2002–2003	Canavese	21	(11)
International career
1985–1987	Italy U21	2	(1)
Managerial career
2005–2006	Saluzzo
2006–2007	Casale
2007–2008	Pescara
2008–2009	Pro Patria
2009–2010	Crotone
2010–2011	Torino
2011	Torino
2012–2013	Lecce
2013–2014	Lecce
2016–	Vicenza
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Franco Lerda (born 19 August 1967) is an Italian football manager and former football player who played as a forward.

Club career

Lerda began his career with the Torino youth system, at the age of 16, joining the first team during the 1985–86 season. He made his professional debut with the club on 6 November 1985, coming on for Júnior in Torino's 3–1 defeat to Hajduk in the return leg of the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup. He made his Serie A debut on 24 November, in a 4–1 home win over Pisa, coming on for Schachner. He remained with the club for two seasons, collecting 19 appearances, and scoring 1 goal. He subsequently played in the lower divisions with Messina, Taranto, Triestina (in Serie B), Chievo Verona (in Serie C1), Cesena, and Brescia (in Serie B once again). He helped Brescia to earn Serie A promotion during the 1993–94 Serie B season, also winning the Anglo-Italian Cup with the club in 1994.

The following season, after making 2 appearances with Brescia, he moved to Napoli, without being able to find the net, and subsequently returning to Brescia for the 1995–96 Serie B season. He later spent a season and a half with Serie C1 side Atletico Catania, narrowly missing out on Serie B promotion. He ended his career after playing with Alessandria in Serie C2, Cuneo and Canavese, in Serie D, and finally, with Saluzzo, in the Piedmont Eccellenza League, retiring at the conclusion of the 2003–04 season.

International career

On 19 November 1986, Lerda made his debut for the Italy national under-21 football team, in a 1–1 home draw against Switzerland. He scored his first goal for the Italy under-21 side on 11 February 1987, in a 2–1 away win over Portugal; these were his only two appearances for the under-21 side.

Managerial career

Lerda had been manager of a few clubs in lower divisions. when he, in June 2010, Became manager of Torino F.C.

On 9 March 2011 he was sacked by the Torino board and replaced by Giuseppe Papadopulo. However, eleven days later Papadopulo was sacked and Lerda was reinstated as manager. On 29 May 2011 he was once again sacked following the club's failure to secure a spot in the Serie A-playoffs.

In June 2012 he became new manager of U.S. Lecce. On 21 January 2013 he was sacked following a 3–1 defeat against San Marino despite the team being in 2nd place in the Lega Pro Prima Divisione.

He was reinstated as Lecce head coach on 24 September 2013, after the dismissal of Francesco Moriero. He was sacked on 27 December 2014 and replaced by Dino Pagliari.

On 15 March 2016 he became new manager of Serie B side Vicenza.

Honours

Brescia

• Anglo-Italian Cup: 1993–94