Lucio Ianiero

{{short description|Canadian retired soccer player and coach (born 1966)}}

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Lucio Ianiero

|image =

|fullname =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|12|13|df=y}}

|birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada

|height =

|position = Midfielder

|currentclub = Niagara 1812 (head coach)

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 =

|years1 = 1987–1991

|clubs1 = Hamilton Steelers

|caps1 = 115

|goals1 = 14

|years2 = 1992

|clubs2 = London Lasers

|caps2 = 16

|goals2 = 1

|years3 = 1993

|clubs3 = Toronto Blizzard

|caps3 = 23

|goals3 = 0

|years4 = 1994

|clubs4 = Toronto Rockets

|caps4 = 7

|goals4 = 1

|years5 = 1995–2006

|clubs5 = St. Catharines Wolves

|caps5 =

|goals5 =

|years6 = 1996–1997

|clubs6= Toronto Shooting Stars (indoor)

|caps6 = 17

|goals6 = 5

|nationalyears1 = 1986–1992

|nationalteam1 = Canada

|nationalcaps1 = 17

|nationalgoals1 = 0

|manageryears1 = 1999–2004

|managerclubs1 = St. Catharines Wolves

|manageryears2 = 2015–2019

|managerclubs2 = Brock Badgers

|manageryears3 = 2024–

|managerclubs3 = Niagara 1812

}}

Lucio Ianiero (born 13 December 1966) is a Canadian soccer coach and former player who is the head coach of Niagara 1812.

He played in the Canadian Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League, Canadian National Soccer League, National Professional Soccer League, and the Canadian Professional Soccer League.

Club career

Ianiero played for the Hamilton Steelers in the original Canadian Soccer League and was the league's 12th best scorer in 1988 with 9 goals. In 1992, he joined the London Lasers.{{cite web|url=http://www.nasljerseys.com/ASL/Players/I/Ianiero.Lucio.htm|title=Lucio Ianiero|publisher=NASL Jerseys|accessdate=19 April 2020}} After the demise of the CSL he played in the American Professional Soccer League for the Toronto Blizzard in 1993, and featured in 23 matches.{{Cite web|url = http://soccerstats.us/bios/lucio-ianiero/|title = Lucio Ianiero {{!}} SoccerStats.us|website = soccerstats.us|accessdate = 20 March 2016}} When the Blizzards folded he signed with Toronto Rockets in 1994, and featured in seven matches and recorded one goal.{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=IEtLjtqaCTgC|title = The American Soccer Guide|last = Lodes|first = Kirk J.|date = 1 January 2008|publisher = Kirk Lodes|isbn = 9781930852099|language = en}}

He also played indoor soccer for the Toronto Shooting Stars of the National Professional Soccer League, where he appeared in 17 matches and recorded five goals.{{Cite web|url = http://ftp.justsportsstats.com/soccerstatsindex.php?player_id=ianieluc001|title = Lucio Ianiero Statistics on JustSportsStats.com|website = ftp.justsportsstats.com|accessdate = 20 March 2016}}

International career

Ianiero participated in the 1985 FIFA World Youth ChampionshipFIFA, [https://web.archive.org/web/20071123203320/http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=104/edition=191144/teams/team=44020.html Tournaments: FIFA U-20 World Cup, USSR 1985] and the inaugural 1989 Futsal World Cup in the Netherlands.FIFA, [https://web.archive.org/web/20071030070852/http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=106/edition=3360/teams/team=1890449.html Tournaments: FIFA Futsal World Cup, Netherlands 1989] He made his senior debut for Canada in an August 1986 Merlion Cup match against Singapore and went on to earn 17 caps.

Coaching career

Ianiero served as an assistant coach for St. Catharines Roma Wolves in 1997.{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=21 July 1997|title=Eagles salvage tie with Roma|page=C3|work=St. Catharines Standard|url=|access-date=}} In 2000, he was named Canadian Professional Soccer League Coach of the Year, as head coach of the St. Catharines Wolves.{{Cite web|url = http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/00cpsl33.htm|title = LFP Sports: Croatia bags Primus Cup by upsetting Olympians|last = RUMLESKI|first = Kathy|website = www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com|accessdate = 20 March 2016}} In 2001, he helped lead the Wolves to the league title. He was the team's player-coach from at least 2000 to 2006. On 12 August 2015 Brock University appointed Ianiero head coach for the men's soccer team.{{Cite web|url = http://gobadgers.ca/news/2015/12/8/MSOC_1208152200.aspx?path=msoc|title = Ianiero named new Brock men's soccer head coach|website = Brock University|accessdate = 20 March 2016}}

In 2024, he was named the head coach of Niagara 1812 for both the men's team in the National Premier Soccer League and the women's team in the Women's Premier Soccer League.{{cite web|url=https://www.bpsportsniagara.com/veteran-coach-lands-with-niagara-1812/|title=Veteran coach lands with Niagara 1812|first=Bill|last=Potrecz|date=29 April 2024 |work=BP Sports Niagara}}

Retirement

Ianeiro was a high school teacher at St. Catharines Collegiate Institute and Vocational School.[http://www.wellandcentennial.com/Alumni/Profiles/profilelucioianiero.htm Centennial Alumni Grad]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In 2018, he was inducted into the Hamilton Soccer Hall of Fame.{{Cite web|url=http://hshof.ca/team/lucio-ianiero/|title=Lucio Ianiero|website=Hamilton Soccer Hall of Fame|language=en-CA|access-date=12 March 2019}}