Valour Signs Draft Pick Pianelli To U SPORTS Deal

After being selected in the 2023 CPL-U SPORTS Draft, French defender Guillaume Pianelli will suiting up for Valour after putting pen to paper on a U SPORTS contract.

The 24-year-old was drafted by Forge FC last year, though 2023 will mark the six-foot-four defender’s first foray into Canadian Premier League pastures. The move comes after he suited up alongside new teammate Jordan Tisseur at the PLSQ All-Star match against CF Montreal last month, having donned the colours of PLSQ side Celtix du Haut-Richelieu for several seasons now.

Pianelli is a third-year University of Quebec in Trois-Rivieres defender who helped his university side to a U SPORTS Championship in 2019, earning all-tournament honours along the way. Pianelli also landed RSEQ All-Star status in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, too.

See Also: 2023 CPL Roster Tracker

Born in Bastia, France, the 24-year-old developed with national third division side EF Bastia after raising through the SC Bastia development program, reportedly earning the nickname of the ‘Corsican Bull’ in reference to the French island on which he played.

Pianelli had been selected by Valour in the first round (fifth overall), marking his second selection in the first round of the collaborative draft between the Canadian Premier League and U SPORTS. The terms of a U SPORTS contract allow for an undergraduate student athlete to feature for a professional CPL soccer side until mid-August, at which point they either sign a pro deal or return to university with their U SPORTS eligibility intact.

Pianelli becomes the second player to sign a U SPORTS contract with Valour this year after goalkeeper Jordan Tisseur.

Valour FC will be heading into its fifth Canadian Premier League campaign with no less than twelve new player signings, with the team hoping to crack a playoff spot for the first time in club history.

Header Image Photo Credit: Simon Lahaye / Patriotes UQTR