Born in Casale Monferrato (Piedmont), Caligaris spent the first nine years of his career with the local team, A.S. Casale.
He made his debut for them on October 12, 1919 in a match against local rivals Valenzana Calcio which Casale won 3–1.
Casale was then in the Italian First division (the predecessor to Serie A) and had won the championship in 1914.
However they were never to repeat that success and although during Caligaris's career with the club they twice qualified for the inter-regional semi-final of North Italy, they were unable to get further.

The Italian national team, however, did provide scope for his talents.
He received his first cap on 15 January 1922 against a strong Austria side, in Milan; he was selected in place of  Virginio Rosetta as right-back flanking the great Genoese left-back Renzo De Vecchi ("Son of God" to the fans), who had been playing for Italy since 1910.
From then until De Vecchi's retirement from international football in March 1925, Rosetta and Caligaris were in competition for the right-back position.
He played for Italy in the 1924 Olympics, the match against Spain being the first in which he played alongside Rosetta, also winning the Central European International Cup with Italy between 1927 and 1930.

After winning a bronze medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics, Caligaris left Casale to join Rosetta at Juventus, making his Serie A debut with the club on 6 October 1929, in a 3–2 home victory over Napoli.
Here the two full-backs, backed by Italian international goalkeeper Gianpiero Combi, formed a formidable defensive combination.
Juventus won five scudetti in a row between 1930 and 1935.

Caligaris served as Italy's captain between 1931 and 1934.
His final game for Italy, on February 11, 1934 was, like his first, against Austria. (
Although a member of the Italian squad, he did not play in any of the 1934 World Cup matches, as Italy went on to win the tournament on home soil.)
His record of 59 caps for Italy was only surpassed in 1971 by Giacinto Facchetti.

Caligaris coached Juventus from 1939 until his death in Turin in October of the following year.
Born in Casale Monferrato (Piedmont), Caligaris spent the first nine years of his career with the local team, A.S. Casale. He made his debut for them on October 12, 1919 in a match against local rivals Valenzana Calcio which Casale won 3–1. Casale was then in the Italian First division (the predecessor to Serie A) and had won the championship in 1914. However they were never to repeat that success and although during Caligaris's career with the club they twice qualified for the inter-regional semi-final of North Italy, they were unable to get further.
The Italian national team, however, did provide scope for his talents. He received his first cap on 15 January 1922 against a strong Austria side, in Milan; he was selected in place of  Virginio Rosetta as right-back flanking the great Genoese left-back Renzo De Vecchi ("Son of God" to the fans), who had been playing for Italy since 1910. From then until De Vecchi's retirement from international football in March 1925, Rosetta and Caligaris were in competition for the right-back position. He played for Italy in the 1924 Olympics, the match against Spain being the first in which he played alongside Rosetta, also winning the Central European International Cup with Italy between 1927 and 1930.
After winning a bronze medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics, Caligaris left Casale to join Rosetta at Juventus, making his Serie A debut with the club on 6 October 1929, in a 3–2 home victory over Napoli. Here the two full-backs, backed by Italian international goalkeeper Gianpiero Combi, formed a formidable defensive combination. Juventus won five scudetti in a row between 1930 and 1935.
Caligaris served as Italy's captain between 1931 and 1934. His final game for Italy, on February 11, 1934 was, like his first, against Austria. (Although a member of the Italian squad, he did not play in any of the 1934 World Cup matches, as Italy went on to win the tournament on home soil.) His record of 59 caps for Italy was only surpassed in 1971 by Giacinto Facchetti.
Caligaris coached Juventus from 1939 until his death in Turin in October of the following year.
Umberto Caligaris