Juan Manuel Funes
Encyclopedia
Juan Manuel Funes Fernández (born May 16, 1966), popularly known as Memín Funes is a Guatemala
n football
coach
and former midfielder
who played professionally for the three most successful clubs in Guatemala – Aurora FC
, Municipal
, and Comunicaciones – and became a member and later captain of the Guatemala national team
, which he represented in five World Cup qualification
processes.
As of October 2006, he was part of the coaching staff of the Guatemala under-17 team.
with that team. He then joined Municipal
– the club he would permanently be most identified with –, where he would reach the peak of his career. During his tenure with the Rojos
, Funes helped the team win three consecutive league titles in the 1987, 1988, and 1989-90 seasons, and two more in 1991-92 and 1993-94. He scored 43 goals in official tournaments for Municipal.
In 1997, Funes moved to Municipal's arch-rivals Comunicaciones
, where he won four more league titles: 1997, 1999, Apertura 1999, and Clausura 2001. In 2001 he joined Deportivo Jalapa
. After that he played a second tenure with Aurora, and after the team was relegated to Primera División in 2005, he retired from professional football.
A creative midfielder
, Funes' play was characterized by good ball control, field vision, dribbling, and mobility. Although he was not a high-scoring midfielder, he would constantly create scoring chances for teammates in attack.
at the III Juegos Centroamericanos in 1986. In 1988, he was part of the squad that participated at the 1988 Olympic tournament
, playing against Italy
and Iraq
.
At the full international level, he made 66 appearances from 1985 to 2000, scoring 15 goals. He was also the national team captain from 1994 to 2000. Funes participated in the 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002 World Cup qualifying
campaigns, being the only Guatemalan player ever to participate in five such processes.
He was selected to the All-star team of the 1997 UNCAF Nations Cup tournament, where Guatemala finished in second place. His last international match was a September 2000 World Cup qualification match against the United States
.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
and former midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
who played professionally for the three most successful clubs in Guatemala – Aurora FC
Aurora FC
Aurora Fútbol Club are a Guatemalan professional football club. Once one of the most powerful teams in the country, the team has now been relegated to a lower division...
, Municipal
CSD Municipal
Club Social y Deportivo Municipal, also known as Municipal or Los Rojos , are a Guatemalan professional football club based in Guatemala City...
, and Comunicaciones – and became a member and later captain of the Guatemala national team
Guatemala national football team
The Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
, which he represented in five World Cup qualification
FIFA World Cup qualification
The FIFA World Cup qualification is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. The FIFA World Cup is a global event, so qualification is required to reduce the large field of participants from about 200 to 32.Qualifying tournaments...
processes.
As of October 2006, he was part of the coaching staff of the Guatemala under-17 team.
Club career
As a teenager, Funes was part of the youth divisions of Aurora FC, debuting in the Liga MayorLiga Nacional de Guatemala
Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala , formerly known as Liga Mayor "A" is a professional football division in Guatemala, the highest one in the country. It is sanctioned by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala...
with that team. He then joined Municipal
CSD Municipal
Club Social y Deportivo Municipal, also known as Municipal or Los Rojos , are a Guatemalan professional football club based in Guatemala City...
– the club he would permanently be most identified with –, where he would reach the peak of his career. During his tenure with the Rojos
CSD Municipal
Club Social y Deportivo Municipal, also known as Municipal or Los Rojos , are a Guatemalan professional football club based in Guatemala City...
, Funes helped the team win three consecutive league titles in the 1987, 1988, and 1989-90 seasons, and two more in 1991-92 and 1993-94. He scored 43 goals in official tournaments for Municipal.
In 1997, Funes moved to Municipal's arch-rivals Comunicaciones
Comunicaciones
Club Social y Deportivo Comunicaciones is a Guatemalan football club located in Guatemala City.The club is currently playing in the highest Guatemalan league, the Liga Nacional. Their home venue is the Estadio Cementos Progreso in the nation's capital. Nicknamed Cremas , they are the second-most...
, where he won four more league titles: 1997, 1999, Apertura 1999, and Clausura 2001. In 2001 he joined Deportivo Jalapa
Deportivo Jalapa
Jalapa is a Guatemalan professional football club who play in the Liga Nacional, the top level division in the country. They are based in Jalapa and their home stadium is the Estadio Las Flores.-History:The team was founded on July 10, 1978....
. After that he played a second tenure with Aurora, and after the team was relegated to Primera División in 2005, he retired from professional football.
A creative midfielder
Playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
, Funes' play was characterized by good ball control, field vision, dribbling, and mobility. Although he was not a high-scoring midfielder, he would constantly create scoring chances for teammates in attack.
International career
Funes was part of the Guatemala youth squad that won the gold medalGold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the III Juegos Centroamericanos in 1986. In 1988, he was part of the squad that participated at the 1988 Olympic tournament
Football at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Final results for the football competition at the 1988 Summer Olympics. The tournament was held from September 17, 1988 to October 1, 1988.-Medal summary:...
, playing against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
and Iraq
Iraq national football team
The Iraqi national football team represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association. They won the 2007 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup tournament.-The Golden Generation:...
.
At the full international level, he made 66 appearances from 1985 to 2000, scoring 15 goals. He was also the national team captain from 1994 to 2000. Funes participated in the 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002 World Cup qualifying
FIFA World Cup qualification
The FIFA World Cup qualification is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. The FIFA World Cup is a global event, so qualification is required to reduce the large field of participants from about 200 to 32.Qualifying tournaments...
campaigns, being the only Guatemalan player ever to participate in five such processes.
He was selected to the All-star team of the 1997 UNCAF Nations Cup tournament, where Guatemala finished in second place. His last international match was a September 2000 World Cup qualification match against the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
.