CONTRACT EXTENSION FOR MAURO BIELLO AND PATRICK LEDUC
MONTREAL – Two days before kicking off training camp, the Montreal Impact team captain Mauro Biello and veteran midfielder Patrick Leduc have both accepted contract extensions.
Biello has come to terms for the 2009 season, while Leduc has signed a two-year deal, both contracts pending the league’s approval.
In 2008, Biello played his 15th season with the Impact and his 16th year in the United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL). Last year, the 36-year-old Montreal midfielder started 10 of the 17 games he played for a total of 851 minutes of play. He scored one goal on August 20 in a 3-1 win against the Atlanta Silverbacks at Saputo Stadium. Throughout his career, Biello has played 325 regular season games (24,597 minutes) with the Impact. He is the all-time points leader in league history with 78 goals and 69 assists for a total of 225 points.
“I’m happy to be back with the Impact,” said Biello. “The decision to come back was easy to make, especially after qualifying for the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. It will be very special and I want to be part of it. I want to continue training and improve myself. I know that I can still help the club win.”
Leduc, a 31-year-old defensive midfielder from the South Shore, played 22 games in 2008 (1,818 minutes), before suffering a foot injury on August 27 against Real Estelí FC from Nicaragua, in the preliminary round of the CONCACAF Champions League. During his career, Leduc played all his 200 games in the USL First Division with the Impact, compiling 10 goals and 15 assists in 14,235 minutes of play.
“I’m very happy to continue my career with the Impact,” said Leduc, who in 2009 will be playing his 10th season in Montreal. “I sensed that the organization wanted me to continue making a contribution and it feels great to be appreciated this way. I lived incredible moments throughout my career with the Impact and last year was really special. I think that I am still able to give a lot to the team. I hope to play in Montreal as long as possible.”
“It’s great to have with us once again this year these two veterans,” said Impact head coach John Limniatis. These two Quebec players have the Impact tattooed on their hearts. Both are very appreciated among fans and bring consistency to our lineup.
The Impact has also announced that it will not grant a new contract to midfielder Antonio Ribeiro. The 28-year-old Quebec player had played the past eight seasons with Montreal, recording 10 goals and 9 assists, for 29 points in 119 regular season games.
GERVAIS 9 YEAR CAREER OVER
MONTREAL – Montreal Impact star defender Gabriel Gervais announced Tuesday he was retiring from professional soccer, after a nine-year career in the United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL), including seven years with the Impact.
“This was a very difficult decision to make,” said Gervais. “I always said that I would continue playing as long as my body would allow me to, but in light of the various injuries I suffered in 2008, I have to come to terms with the fact that I can no longer play.”
“I loved the experience of playing at a professional level,” added the veteran defender. “I have always been well treated in Montreal and I had the chance to rub shoulders with incredible players. My greatest moment was certainly the championship that we won in 2004. Besides the trophies and honours, I learned about team work, perseverance and communication, which will be useful all my life.”
The 32-year-old athlete from Brossard made his debut in the USL First Division in 2000 with the Rochester Rhinos. He then joined the Impact in 2002, helping the club win the league championship in 2004, as well as the regular season championships in 2005 and 2006.
He was proclaimed Defensive Player of the Year for the Impact three times in 2002, 2003 and 2006, and won the Giuseppe-Saputo Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player of the Impact, in 2004. He was also named Defender of the Year in the USL First Division in 2003, 2004 and 2006, becoming the first-ever player in the league to win that award three times. Gervais was also picked on the USL D1 First All-League Team for six straight years, from 2002 to 2007.
Gervais also played on the senior Canadian national team, playing in 2004 in the qualifying games for the FIFA World Cup. He also played for Canada during the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2005.
“Gabriel (Gervais) has always served the team well,” said Impact technical director Nick De Santis, who coached him during five seasons as head coach. “He was a true leader on and off the field, and always showed exemplary discipline. It’s unfortunate for him to see his career end because of injuries.”
The Montreal Impact has confirmed that he will remain present within the organization, notably involved in community-related projects.
TRAINING CAMP
The Impact will start its 16th training camp in club history Wednesday morning, at Catalogna Soccerplexe in Lachine. The team will train in Montreal during the next four weeks and will continue its camp in Italy, from January 31 to February 13.
No comments yet.