The Montreal Impact have signed 26-year-old Hernán Bernardello as the club's second Designated Player.
One day after the club announced they were in advanced stages of discussions with the Rosario, Argentina native, the deal was made official on Tuesday afternoon.
“We are very pleased to have finalized the acquisition of a player who has played at the highest levels,” said Impact sporting director Nick De Santis in a press release. “He fits in well with the identity of the club and we believe he will play an important role for us moving forward. Hernán has consistently played between 25 and 30 games a season over his career.”
Bernardello will take up one of Montreal's international player spots. The Impact now have 11 international player spots used up as midfielder Maxi Rodríguez was placed on the long-term injury list, thus freeing up a space for Bernardello.
“He is a player with great quality in midfield that covers a lot of ground, all while displaying great technical skills and great ability to relaunch attacks,” De Santis went on to say. “He plays the game with a lot of passion and emotions.”
Bernardello joins the Impact having last played in Argentina's Primera División on-loan at Club Atlético Colón. He spent one season with Colón after being loaned out by now La Liga outfit Unión Deportiva Almería.
Almería signed Bernardello back in the summer of 2009 from his hometown club Newell's Old Boys. The Spanish side paid a transfer fee of €3-million to retain Bernardello's services. He made around 100 appearances in all competitions with Almería.
Bernardello's professional career started off when he made his debut for Newell's back in 2006. He had just 85 appearances for the same club that formed the likes of Lionel Messi, Ezequiel Garay, Fernando Belluschi and the other Maxi Rodríguez that had a stint with Liverpool.
Throughout his career, Bernardello has played more as a defensive midfielder. If the Impact decides to use him in that role, Bernardello will not only provide extra strength to the team's midfield, but also give Montreal more depth and experience in this important sector of the pitch.
Montreal has used defensive midfielders in the past. Earlier in the season when the Impact were playing a 4-1-4-1, Patrice Bernier was usually playing in that spot. With the Impact lately using a 4-4-2 and even 4-3-3, Bernardello would then act as a central midfielder.
The Argentine's addition will mean one player could see his playing time reduced. Captain Davy Arnaud, Felipe, Collen Warner, Felipe and Bernier are the team's other central midfielders.
Head coach Marco Schällibaum does have plenty of ways to include Bernardello into his starting XI. Patrice Bernier could be pushed up the pitch to accommodate Bernardello as a defensive midfielder. If Bernier does move forward, either Felipe or Arnaud could be pushed out wide. Seeing how Arnaud played almost all of 2012 at right midfield, he is certainly an option to move to the flank once again.
If Schällibaum does want to incorporate Bernardello immediately without moving anybody around, Felipe, Bernier or Arnaud would have to be relegated to the substitute's bench.
Regardless of where Bernardello plays, the Impact have a congested schedule coming up with the CONCACAF Champions League about to kick off. Many players will be rotated around throughout the coming weeks giving everybody plenty of opportunities to play.
There is no indication as to when Bernardello will make his debut for the Impact. It does not look like it will be soon as the club announced late Tuesday night that the player is suffering from serious flu-like symptoms.
Bernardello was hospitalized and will not take part in Wednesday morning's training session. He will spend a few days away from the team until he is fit enough to train again.
|