Valour FC locks up key pieces for 2026 squad

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This article was published 12/12/2024 (609 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Valour FC head coach and GM Phillip Dos Santos maintained that next year’s roster would resemble the one that caught fire at the end of the 2024 Canadian Premier League season.

So far, that’s gone according to plan.

Winnipeg’s pro soccer club signed promising defender Gianfranco Facchineri to a two-year standard professional contract that will keep him with Valour through the 2026 season on Wednesday. He was set to become a free agent on Jan. 1.

After being selected ninth overall by Valour in the 2024 CPL-U Sports Draft, the 22-year-old matured quickly in his first full pro campaign and emerged as a key piece along the club’s backline as it returned to playoff contention during the second half of the season.

Facchineri played a full 90 minutes in 16 of the last 17 regular season matches. He rose up the statistical leaderboard during that time, finishing fifth among CPL players with 18 blocks and sixth with 92 clearances.

“It was important for our club to secure his services as we keep improving the squad. He’s still a young player, I really believe in his potential, and we look forward to seeing how he will progress over the 2025 season,” Dos Santos said in a press release.

Facchineri’s signing came after Valour inked veteran goalkeeper Jonathan Viscosi to a one-year extension on Tuesday.

Viscosi, 33, arrived in Winnipeg last off-season after Dos Santos traded talented young keeper Rayane Yesli to Atlético Ottawa.

The Ottawa-born ball-stopper immediately became a leader on Valour and was leaned on early and often, logging 2,286 minutes in 26 league appearances. He finished second among all keepers with 82 saves and came up big in the clutch on several occasions down the home stretch of the regular season.

“I’m really happy to be continuing with Valour for another season and to build on the progress we made,” said Viscosi. “There’s an emotional connection to this team and the city we represent that makes playing for Valour highly meaningful and motivating. I can’t wait to get the group back together and keep our progress going.”

Valour now has seven players under contract for the 2025 season. It is expected Dos Santos will continue to place a priority on keeping many of his players in-house before they can test the open market in the new year.

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

Joshua Frey-Sam
Reporter

Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh.

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