Giuseppe Funicello

Giuseppe "Joe" Funicello (born 19 April 1987 in Agropoli) is a former Italian-American football player.

Giuseppe Funicello
Giuseppe Funicello coaching for IF Vestri
Personal information
Full name Giuseppe Pasquale Funicello
Date of birth (1987-04-19) 19 April 1987
Place of birth Agropoli, Italy
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position(s) Defender/Midfielder
Youth career
2005 New York Red Bulls Academy
2006 Salernitana
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007 Brooklyn Knights 2 (0)
2007 Ashford Town (Middlesex)
2008–2009 Corinthian-Casuals 22 (8)
2009 Real Maryland Monarchs 12 (0)
2010 Thor Akureyri 13 (0)
2010–2011 IFK Mariehamn 14 (0)
2011 VPS 0 (0)
2012– Thor Akureyri 24 (1)
2013 FF Jaro 9 (0)
Managerial career
2016 IF Vestri
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of November 8, 2013

Career

Youth

Funicello grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut, and attended Norwalk High School, where he was local newspaper The Hour's 2004 All-Area MVP.[1] He turned down chances to play college soccer, instead travelling to Europe to pursue a professional career.

Professional

Funicello played for the youth team at Salernitana in Italy, but was not offered a full professional contract by the team, and returned to the United States to consider his options. He briefly trialled with both the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Atlanta Silverbacks in the USL First Division, and played for the Brooklyn Knights in the USL Premier Development League,[2] before returning to Europe again in the fall of 2007.

Funicello played a handful of games for English team Ashford Town (Middlesex),[3] had a trial with Charlton Athletic, and played some more for Corinthian-Casuals in the Isthmian League Division One South, until being signed by the Real Maryland Monarchs in the USL Second Division in the summer of 2009.

Funicello signed with Icelandic club Thor Akureyri in April 2010, after an extended trial period. He played in 13 games for Thor, before being transferred to IFK Mariehamn.[4][5][6][7]

Funicello was transferred to IFK Mariehamn on 31 August 2010.[8][9][10]

He signed a one-year extension with IFK Mariehamn after helping them stay in the Veikkausliiga. After a disagreement with current IFK Mariehamn manager Pekka Lyyski, Funicello was transferred to VPS. Funicello expressed his and his teammates horrible relationship with Lyyski. It was the 3rd most read article in Finnish newspaper.[11]

Funicello's time was short lived at VPS as he tore ligaments in his ankle in his first week of training with his new club. Resulting in him missing the rest of the regular season. He went on to sign with his former club Þór in Iceland helping them advance to 2nd round of the UEFA Europa League, and gain promotion back to the Pepsi Deild.

He transferred to FF Jaro on 31 August 2013.

Funicello was named head coach of Icelandic club IF Vestri in February 2016.

Funicello was temporarily an assistant coach at Liga FPD club Limón in early 2021.

Personal life

Funicello is the founder and head coach of a player development program and now third division team based in Costa Rica called SoccerViza, which mainly aims to assist players in getting identified by professional clubs and scouts, with previous program alumni including former USYNT captain Tyler Turner and Zac Lubin.

References
  1. "Funicello closing in on a dream". Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  2. "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
  3. "Butler bags Hughes ahead of opening game". Non-League Daily. 20 August 2007. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
  4. "Fótbolti.net". fotbolti.net. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  5. BB.is - Frétt - Ítali hjá Þórsurum
  6. Breytingar í fótboltanum - Bogi í Njarðvík - mbl.is
  7. Velkomin á Fótbolta Archived 23 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Urheilu". Ilta-Sanomat. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  9. "IFK Mariehamn förstärker". svenska.yle.fi. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  10. "IFK Mariehamn bötfälls - Ålandstidningen". Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  11. "Riktar kritik mot Pekka Lyyski". Ålandstidningen (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 7 September 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
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