Soccer

THE CANADIAN PRESS

MONTREAL -- Mauro Biello's pro soccer career ended in style -- as captain of the Montreal Impact squad that won the United Soccer Leagues First Division championship.

The stocky midfielder/forward announced his retirement as a player on Thursday, but he will remain with the club as an assistant coach and director of the Impact soccer schools.

"Winning that championship was probably the deciding factor for me," Biello said. "I thought about it all season, but when we won, with the state I was in with injuries, I felt it was the best moment.

"I was happy and comfortable with that decision."

The 37-year-old was hoisted on the shoulders of his teammates after the Impact downed the Vancouver Whitecaps for the USL-1 title before a full house of 13,000 at Saputo Stadium in October.

The Montreal native was the lone remaining player from the Impact's inaugural season in 1993, and had played for the club's predecessor, the Montreal Supra of the Canadian Soccer League, three years before that. He had been the Impact's captain since 2001.

Biello played nearly his entire 19-year pro career in Montreal, except for brief stints with clubs in Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y. in the 1990s.

"Not many athletes could say that -- to play in front of your friends and family for so many years -- it was tremendous," he said.

Heel injuries hampered his play in recent seasons, but he retired as the USL-1's all-time points leader with 90 goals and 253 points in 429 matches. He is the Impact's all-time leader in games played (389), games started (273), minutes played (27,288), goals (72), assists (65), points (209) and shots (560).

He played on championship teams in 1994, 2004 and this year. He also played four times for Canada.

"He believed in what he could do and look at him today," said Impact president Joey Saputo, who has also been part of the club since its inception. "His career with this organization says a lot for his determination and says a lot to young players in Quebec today -- that you can have a future in soccer here."

Biello will act as a link between the Impact and its development team as well as assisting head coach Marc Dos Santos.

"It's impossible to replace Mauro -- he is the history of the Impact," said Dos Santos. "But he'll be around, he'll be very important on our staff with his presence and leadership."

For all his skill, Biello said he was never tempted to play in Europe, where so many of Canada's top players try their luck with clubs at various levels. He said chances for Canadians to find jobs in Europe were scarce early in his career and by the time it got easier, he was already settled into his life with the Impact.

"I didn't want to be a journeyman on a team in Europe," he said. "I have no regrets about making that decision."

Saputo had no comment on the Impact's impending decision either to stay in USL-1 next season or join a breakaway league along with the Whitecaps and five other clubs.