Joel Untersee

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Joel Untersee

| image =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|2|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Johannesburg, South Africa

| height = {{height|m=1.81}}

| position = Defender

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = 2008–2010

| youthclubs1 = Zürich

| youthyears2 = 2010–2013

| youthclubs2 = Juventus

| years1 = 2013–2018

| clubs1 = Juventus

| caps1 = 0

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2013–2016

| clubs2 = → Vaduz (loan)

| caps2 = 58

| goals2 = 1

| years3 = 2016–2017

| clubs3 = → Brescia (loan)

| caps3 = 39

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2017–2018

| clubs4 = → Empoli (loan)

| caps4 = 15

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2018–2019

| clubs5 = Empoli

| caps5 = 3

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2019

| clubs6 = → Zürich (loan)

| caps6 = 8

| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2020

| clubs7 = FC Lugano

| caps7 = 1

| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2021

| clubs8 = HJK

| caps8 = 0

| goals8 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2009

| nationalteam1 = Switzerland U15

| nationalcaps1 = 4

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| nationalyears2 = 2009–2010

| nationalteam2 = Switzerland U16

| nationalcaps2 = 9

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 2010–2011

| nationalteam3 = Switzerland U17

| nationalcaps3 = 10

| nationalgoals3 = 1

| nationalyears4 = 2011–2012

| nationalteam4 = Switzerland U18

| nationalcaps4 = 4

| nationalgoals4 = 0

| nationalyears5 = 2012–2013

| nationalteam5 = Switzerland U19

| nationalcaps5 = 4

| nationalgoals5 = 0

| nationalyears6 = 2013

| nationalteam6 = Switzerland U20

| nationalcaps6 = 4

| nationalgoals6 = 0

| nationalyears7 = 2014–2016

| nationalteam7 = Switzerland U21

| nationalcaps7 = 2

| nationalgoals7 = 0

| club-update = 10 June 2019

| nationalteam-update = 3 July 2014

}}

Joel Untersee (born 11 February 1994) is a Swiss footballer who played as a defender.

Club career

=Early career=

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, of Swiss descent, Untersee moved to Switzerland at a very young age and opted to represent Switzerland at various youth levels internationally. Following his move, Untersee joined the youth academy of FC Zürich, where he would eventually remain until 2010, before transferring to Italian giants, Juventus Football Club during the 2010–11 season.

=Juventus=

On 28 October 2010, Untersee officially left FC Zürich to join Juventus, where he was assigned to the youth team. After a successful debut season in Italy, Untersee was called up to the first team training camp in the summer 2011 by new head coach Antonio Conte. Following the summer ritiro, however, the young fullback returned to the youth sector for the 2011–12 season and remained during the 2012–13 campaign as well.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

On 1 January 2014, Juventus confirmed that Untersee had left them for FC Vaduz on a six-month loan deal that would expire on 30 June 2014.{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/joel-untersee/154240/|title=Switzerland - J. Untersee - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}} Instantly making an impact with his new team, Untersee made his first appearance against FC Lugano in a 2–0 home victory on 3 February 2014. He went on to make 15 league appearances. Additionally, he scored his first goal for his new club in an 8–0 victory over FC Ruggell in the Liechtenstein Football Cup. On 3 July 2014, Juventus and Vaduz reached an agreement to prolong the loan deal for another season.{{cite web|url=https://www.tuttojuve.com/calciomercato/ufficiale-untersee-resta-in-prestito-al-vaduz-195881|title=Ufficiale: Untersee resta in prestito al Vaduz|website=www.tuttojuve.com}}

=Brescia=

On 31 August 2016, Untersee completed a move to Italian club Brescia on a loan deal from Juventus for the full season.{{cite web|url=http://www.kickoff.com/news/68586/joel-untersee-set-for-brescia-move-from-juventus|title=Joel Untersee set for Brescia move from Juventus|date=31 August 2016|accessdate=31 August 2016|publisher=kickoff.com|archive-date=12 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412171843/http://www.kickoff.com/news/68586/joel-untersee-set-for-brescia-move-from-juventus|url-status=dead}} He made his debut in a 2–0 Serie B win over Frosinone, playing the full 90 minutes{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2016/09/03/italy/serie-b/brescia-calcio/frosinone-calcio/2327462/|title=Brescia vs. Frosinone - 3 September 2016 - Soccerway|date=3 September 2016|accessdate=7 September 2016|publisher=Soccerway}}

=Empoli=

After one year contract, in January 2019, he was loaned to Zürich until the end of the season.{{cite web|url=https://www.fcz.ch/en/first-team/news/2019/joel-untersee-wechselt-leihweise-zum-fcz/|title=Joel Untersee joins FC Zurich on loan|publisher=FC Zürich|date=29 January 2019|accessdate=7 February 2019|archive-date=9 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209124628/https://www.fcz.ch/en/first-team/news/2019/joel-untersee-wechselt-leihweise-zum-fcz/|url-status=dead}}

=HJK=

On 19 January 2021, Untersee signed a one-year contract with HJK.{{cite web |title=Uusi laitapakki Klubiin |url=https://www.hjk.fi/en/artikkelit/mens-team/uusi-laitapakki-klubiin/ |website=hjk.fi/ |publisher=HJK |access-date=5 May 2021 |language=Finnish |date=19 January 2021}} Untersee left HJK on 23 July 2021 by mutual consent, having made four appearances for the club in the Finnish Cup.{{cite web |title=Joel Unterseen sopimus päättyy |url=https://www.hjk.fi/en/artikkelit/miehet/joel-unterseen-sopimus-paattyy/ |website=hjk.fi/ |publisher=Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi |access-date=28 July 2021 |language=Finnish |date=23 July 2021}}

International career

Untersee had represented Switzerland at youth levels.

On 6 March 2018, the South African National Team Coach Stuart Baxter announced that Untersee has agreed to represent Bafana Bafana at international level. He explained his absence from the Bafana Bafana in the spring 2018 friendlies was due to Empoli's fixtures and the importance of achieving promotion.{{cite web|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/2018-03-14-baxter-explains-benoni-born-swiss-national-untersees-absence-from-bafana-squad/|title=Bafana coach Baxter explains Benoni-born Untersee's absence from squad|website=TimesLIVE}}

In May 2019 he was added to South Africa's provisional 30-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, although he still had not obtained a South African passport by that time.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48348640|title=Africa Cup of Nations: South Africa wait on passports for players|date=21 May 2019|publisher=BBC Sport}}