Giuseppe Funicello

Giuseppe Funicello
Giuseppe "Joe" Funicello (born 19 April 1987 in Agropoli) is a former Italian-American football player.
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. 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, before returning to Europe again in the fall of 2007.
Funicello played a handful of games for English team Ashford Town (Middlesex), 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.
Funicello was transferred to IFK Mariehamn on 31 August 2010.
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.
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
1987 births
Living people
American men's soccer players
Italian men's footballers
Brooklyn Knights players
Corinthian-Casuals F.C. players
US Salernitana 1919 players
Real Maryland F.C. players
Ashford Town (Middlesex) F.C. players
IFK Mariehamn players
Veikkausliiga players
Expatriate men's footballers in Finland
USL League Two players
USL Second Division players
Þór Akureyri players
Expatriate men's footballers in Iceland
Men's association football defenders
Vestri (football club)
Men's association football midfielders
Norwalk High School (Connecticut) alumni
Footballers from the Province of Salerno