MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact announced on Thursday that Quebec native Patrice Bernier has been named team captain.
Impact captains through history
Marco Rizi: 1993
Patrice Ferri: 1993-1994
Nick De Santis: 1995-2001
Mauro Biello: 2002-2009
Nevio Pizzolitto: 2010-2011
Davy Arnaud: 2012-2013
Patrice Bernier: 2014-
“It is with honour and pride that I wear the captain’s armband for the Montreal Impact,” declared Bernier. “At this stage of my career, having grown up here, this will be a very special experience for me and a new challenge that I am ready to take on. It’s also nice to be recognized by the coaching staff for my leadership and what I bring to the team. It is now up to me to maintain the standard that was set by Davy Arnaud.”
“Patrice is highly respected by his teammates and everyone in this organization,” said Impact head coach Frank Klopas. “He knows the club and the city, having started his soccer career in Montreal. He understands what it means to wear the Impact jersey. I think he can lead the team on the field and that he will be a great captain for our group.”
Bernier was named the team’s MVP and Communitarian of the Year in 2012. In addition, he was named to the 2013 MLS All-Star team that faced off versus AS Roma in Kansas City.
The 34-year-old Brossard native helped the Impact win the Amway Canadian Championship in 2013, starting all four games in the tournament, before taking part in two CONCACAF Champions League games, including one start.
In his first two seasons in MLS, he scored 13 goals and set up another 16, including nine game-winning assists, in 58 regular season games (53 starts) totaling 4,668 minutes.
Marco Di Vaio, Matteo Ferrari and Troy Perkins will be the team’s vice-captains.
