MLS Senior VP/Competition & Player Relations LINO DICUOLLO’s duties include overseeing the league’s acquisition and retention of players, ensuring that teams are operating in compliance with roster and budget rules, and managing the league’s centralized role in approving player contracts. This week he has been working with expansion teams Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC on player matters in preparation of their inaugural seasons in ’17. But this weekend will be a time for DiCuollo, who also played soccer at Rutgers and is in the school's HOF, to spend quality time with his family before gearing up for the stretch run of the MLS season.
FATHER-SON BONDING: For the past several years, a typical Friday evening has involved me and my 7-year-old son, LUCA, going for pizza with a good friend of mine and his two sons. We always go to the same place, Papa Joe’s, which is an old style, authentic Italian restaurant in Darien, Conn. It gives the moms several hours of peace and quiet at the end of the week. On Saturday, I coach Luca’s soccer team, so the day will revolve around his game, which is typically played in the early afternoon. In the morning, I usually have soccer games on TV. Luca has an interest in becoming a goalkeeper so we use the family room for practice. My wife, LIZ, thinks we should practice outside for obvious reasons. We’ve had some close calls with the ball hitting the TV and windows so I doubt that we’ll be able to keep doing it much longer. Dinner plans depend on how busy the day was -- if there was a lot to do we typically order in. MLS games usually start in the afternoon on Saturdays so I’m always happy to dine at home.
STAYING ACTIVE: On Sunday mornings, I usually have a soccer game on TV. I also play for the Greenwich Gunners, an over-40 league in Fairfield County, Conn., and Luca will sometimes join me. After that if the weather is warm, we typically go to the beach or our local tennis club, which has a pool. I try to get back home in the afternoons since we have our ESPN and Fox national broadcast matches typically starting in the late afternoon or early evening. It’s all about family activities on weekends. If there is any leisure time, I usually try to play golf with a friend or catch up on reading. It is a big treat if I have a few hours to read the N.Y. Times. From September through May, Liz and I rent a court at the tennis club, typically on Wednesdays. It’s a great way to get some exercise and have a date night in the middle of the week. We like to use that night to pick different restaurants in the area -- there are so many in Fairfield County.
WINTER IS COMING: Liz and I are all about on-demand and Netflix. We’ve enjoyed “BLOODLINE” and “STRANGER THINGS." We are also big fans of HBO’s “GAME OF THRONES” and “THE NIGHT OF." It’s hard to find time for books with a young family. The closest I come is when I read to Luca at night. Otherwise, I focus on soccer-related news. We grill a lot on the weekends, and Liz and I pick a nice bottle of wine to enjoy while chasing the little ones.
