MENU
João Morelli ready to return to the Wanderers
June 9, 2023

The Halifax Wanderers are excited to announce forward João Morelli has been cleared to return to the squad following recovery from a knee injury suffered in the 2022 CPL season. 

Morelli will travel to Halifax in the coming weeks to rejoin his teammates in training with the goal of a return to game action in July.

“I don’t think I can even describe what I’m feeling right now, really just excitement,” Morelli said. “I can’t stop thinking about getting to play at the Wanderers Grounds again, I’ve been dreaming about it since last year. I really love Halifax, and I can’t wait to play there again in front of the fans and hopefully score a lot of goals again.”

The 27-year-old Brazilian was the Canadian Premier League’s MVP and Golden Boot winner in 2021, when Morelli scored 14 goals in just 21 matches. With 20 goals in 34 career appearances, Morelli is second on the Wanderers all-time scoring list. 

Over his professional career, Morelli has scored 54 goals to go along with 22 assists. 

“Having a player of his calibre is going to bring confidence in the team, he has a lot of work to do to catch up with the rest of the group, but his experience and confidence is something we’re excited to have,” Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar said. “His presence and ability to find goals will be a major asset as well.”  

Morelli scored in the Wanderers 2022 season opener against York United FC but was injured 10 days later in a match against Atletico Ottawa on April 16. Doctors determined Morelli had suffered a torn ACL that would require surgery and shut him down for the season. He underwent surgery in June of that year with a timeline of 12 months for recovery.

In the months since, Morelli has worked with specialists in Brazil to rehabilitate his injury post-surgery. Throughout 2023, he has been training for a return to playing football in Halifax. 

“We’ve remained in regular contact with João throughout his recovery journey, knowing a 12-month post-op timeline would give him the best chance at a full recovery,” sporting director Matt Fegan said.

“The possibility of a return has always been on the table and dictated at João’s pace. João has also had some exciting life moments this year with the birth of his son, which we’ve been delighted to see and respectful of his personal life changes. 

“When he called to say he wanted to make it happen, we set the wheels in motion and will look forward to welcoming him back into the squad this season.”

A dynamic attacker that can play in the midfield or up front, Morelli signed with Halifax ahead of the 2020 season and immediately emerged as a top player in the CPL. He was a key contributor in the side’s run to the league final, finishing third in scoring with four goals and one assist over 8 games. In 2021, he signed a contract extension to remain in Halifax through the 2023 season.

“I’m excited to see the guys, and I think I’ll fit really well with the type of game Patrice has the guys playing, so I’m excited to work with him in person,” Morelli said. “I think we’ve been unlucky not to get results so far, but we have a lot of potential. I’ve been working really hard doing a lot of football drills, and I feel really good and am confident I’ll be back at my 100%.”