WINNIPEG, MB — Dec. 11, 2024 — Valour FC today announced the club has signed Gianfranco Facchineri to a two-year guaranteed Standard Professional Contract (SPC) that will see him remain with the club through the 2026 Canadian Premier League (CPL) season.

Facchineri, 22, previously represented Valour on a CPL-U SPORTS Deal in 2024, after he was selected by the club with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 CPL-U SPORTS Draft in December 2023. He previously signed a homegrown contract with the Vancouver Whitecaps in Jan. 2020.

“Gianfranco was an important piece in our back line during the second half of the season.” said Phillip Dos Santos, Head Coach and General Manager, Valour FC.  “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.”

The native of Windsor, Ont. would emerge as a key player for Valour over the course of his inaugural season in the Canadian Premier League (CPL) in 2024. After playing part in nine of the club’s first eleven games and making two starts, Facchineri solidified his place in the heart of Valour’s defence, logging 90 minutes in all but one of the club’s final 17 regular season matches.

Facchineri ranked fifth among all CPL players during the league season — which includes the regular season and the playoffs — with 18 blocks, and ranked sixth among his league peers with 92 clearances during that time. He sat among Valour’s statistical leaders in several categories in 2024, including blocks, clearances, total passes (1077), total tackles (46),  duels won (102), aerial duels won (34), interceptions (26) and recoveries (92).

The centre back earned two appearances on CPL’s Gatorade Team of the Week in 2024.

“I am incredibly excited to continue the work we as a club started last year and I am very thankful to be a part of the plan to help Valour accomplish everything we set out to do,” said Facchineri. “I am eager to help Valour make this upcoming season its best yet.”

Further roster updates will be announced in the coming weeks as Valour continues to build its 2025 squad.

Current 2025 Valour FC Roster as of Dec. 11, 2024:

Goalkeepers: Jonathan Viscosi

Defenders: Gianfranco Facchineri

Midfielders: Diogo Ressurreição, Safwane Mlah, Zachary Sukunda

Forwards: Shaan Hundal, Kian Williams