Bernier signs with Montreal Impact
Posted December 19, 2011 11:08 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Patrice Bernier is coming home.
The Canadian midfielder and native of Brossard, Que., was officially unveiled as the newest member of the Montreal Impact Monday morning at the club’s downtown offices.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Bernier, 32, becomes the latest player to join the Impact ahead of its debut season in Major League Soccer in 2012. Montreal now has 22 players on its roster.
“MLS is a big project for me and for the organization. At this point in my career, it is a challenge that really motivates me. I am happy to be joining the league at the top of my game,” Bernier said in a news release.
Bernier previously played for the Impact from 2000 to 2002 when the club competed in the old A-League, one tier below MLS. Since then, the Canadian has plied his trade in Europe, bouncing between such teams as Moss F.K and Tromso IL in Norway, FC Kaiserslautern in Germany, and FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark.
Most recently he played for Danish outfit Lyngby BK.
He’s also been a regular fixture for Canada’s national team, earning 47 caps since making his debut in 2004. He most recently played for his country last month in a pair of World Cup qualifying matches against Saint-Kitts-and Nevis.
“His years of experience in top leagues in Europe will provide the team with savvy and intelligence. As a player, he is very sharp on the ball and his tactical awareness will be a great value in the midfield. As a person, he is a good man and a strong leader,” Impact coach Jesse Marsch said.
Impact sporting director Nick De Santis called Bernier “a very important piece of the puzzle.”
Indeed, Bernier’s arrival significantly bolsters the quality of the team’s midfield, as he should provide a solid and steadying presence in the middle of the park for the expansion club.
Bernier becomes only the second Canadian on the Impact’s roster, joining veteran goalkeeper Greg Sutton. Montreal will be required to have at least three Canadians by the time the season starts next March, as per league rules.
As a hometown hero, he’ll also be pushed as the public face of the franchise.
“He is a Montrealer who will connect with the supporters, the media and our partners, but the most important thing is his qualities as a player. The arrival of MLS in Montreal allows us to bring home one of the best Quebec players in history,” De Santis said.
The signing of Bernier hardly comes as a surprise, considering the Canadian quota the Impact have to meet.
Also, Matt Jordan, the Impact’s director of soccer operations, recently told sportsnet.ca that the club was actively pursuing Canadian-born players ahead of the start of the 2012 MLS season.
“We are in discussions with several (Canadian players). … We will have a Canadian influence on the team,” Jordan said.
