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Whitecaps loan Canadian youth international centre back to Atletico Ottawa

Jul 6, 2020 | 11:42 AM

OTTAWA — The Vancouver Whitecaps have loaned Canadian youth international Gianfranco Facchineri to expansion Atletico Ottawa of the Canadian Premier League until the end of September.

The 18-year-old centre back from Windsor, Ont., joined the Whitecaps academy in August 2018, playing for the under-17 and under-19 sides, before spending last year with Vancouver’s development squad. Facchineri represented Canada at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup before signing an MLS homegrown contract in January.

“Frankie has shown the right mentality and approach at every training session,” Whitecaps head coach Marc Dos Santos said in a statement Monday. “This loan is a great opportunity for him to continue his development in a competitive atmosphere and we will be following his progress closely.”

Facchineri is the 16th player to officially join Atletico Ottawa.