// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Yuzo Funakoshi? Funakoshi to meet you.

Yuzo Funakoshi
船越 優蔵

Personal information
Date of birth	(1977-06-12) June 12, 1977
Place of birth	Kobe, Japan
Height	1.94 m (6 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
Position	Forward
Team information
Current team	Albirex Niigata (manager)
Youth career
1993–1995	Kunimi High School
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1996–1998	Gamba Osaka	3	(0)
1996–1997	→ Telstar (loan)	18	(2)
1999–2000	Shonan Bellmare	20	(1)
2001	Oita Trinita	27	(9)
2002–2006	Albirex Niigata	71	(12)
2007–2009	Tokyo Verdy	44	(9)
2010	SC Sagamihara
Total		183	(33)
International career
1993	Japan U17	4	(1)
Managerial career
2013–2015	Thespakusatsu Gunma (assistant)
2022–2023	Japan U19 (assistant)
2023	Japan U18
2024–2025	Japan U20
2026–	Albirex Niigata
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Yuzo Funakoshi (船越 優蔵, Funakoshi Yuzo; born June 12, 1977) is a Japanese football manager and former footballer who is manager of J2 League club Albirex Niigata.

Club career

Funakoshi was born in Kobe on June 12, 1977. After graduating from high school, he joined Gamba Osaka in 1996. He moved to Eerste Divisie club Telstar on loan in 1996. Although he returned to Gamba in 1997, he could hardly play in the match and moved to Bellmare Hiratsuka (later Shonan Bellmare) in 1999 and Oita Trinita in 2001. At Trinita, he played many matches. He moved to Albirex Niigata in 2002. Although he played many matches until 2003, he could hardly play in the match from 2004. He moved to Tokyo Verdy in 2007 and played until 2009. He played for SC Sagamihara in 2010 and retired at the end of the 2010 season.

International career

In August 1993, Funakoshi was selected in the Japan U17 national team for the 1993 U-17 World Championship. He played full-time in all 4 matches and scored a goal against Mexico.

Club statistics

Club	Season	League		Emperor's Cup		J.League Cup		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Gamba Osaka	1996	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	1997	2	0	3	1	0	0	5	1
	1998	1	0	0	0	1	1	2	1
Bellmare Hiratsuka	1999	12	1	0	0	2	0	14	1
Shonan Bellmare	2000	8	0	0	0	1	0	9	0
Oita Trinita	2001	27	9	3	0	0	0	30	9
Albirex Niigata	2002	34	7	0	0	–		34	7
	2003	22	4	3	1	–		25	5
	2004	4	0	1	0	3	0	8	0
	2005	7	1	0	0	2	0	9	1
	2006	4	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
Tokyo Verdy	2007	26	8	1	0	–		27	8
	2008	7	1	1	0	2	0	10	1
	2009	11	0	1	0	–		12	0
Total		165	31	13	2	11	1	189	34

External links

• Yuzo Funakoshi – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Yuzo Funakoshi at J.League (archive) (in Japanese)