The Halifax Wanderers have signed Italian midfielder Giorgio Probo to a contract through the 2025 CPL season.
Probo, 24, joins the Wanderers after two incredible seasons at Creighton University, where the creative midfielder contributed 22 assists and scored five goals.
“Giorgio is a classic midfielder who is unique because he is equally skilled as an attacking midfielder or a holding midfielder,” Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar said. “We have many skilled players who can break lines on the dribble, but he can deliver line-breaking passes. He has a deep passing range, is effective on free kicks and has a high-level background in the sport.”
From Bergamo, Italy, Probo began his career in the youth setup of Italian Serie A side Atalanta, playing for their U17 side. In 2016, he joined nearby club Virtus Bergamo, making 65 appearances for the first team. Probo also spent a portion of the 2019-20 season at Borgosesia Calcio before moving to the United States.
“It’s exciting, I decided to join Halifax because of the people, the city, and I was very impressed by Patrice Gheisar,” Probo said. “From very early on, before other clubs, telling me he wanted to sign me, that he liked my game over a year ago.
But, I needed to finish my college first, and when I finished, I had teams interested in me, but it was important to find something I trusted. So all that stuff behind the scenes and hearing good things about the club, I knew I was going to sign with Halifax.”
Probo started his time in the U.S. at Iowa Western Community College, immediately establishing himself as a top player. In 2021, Probo led Iowa Western to the National Championship. He scored in the final and was named Tournament MVP. Probo was also the United Soccer Coaches Association Junior College Player of the Year in 2021.
With a goal from Giorgio Probo in the 12th minute of play, @GoReivers leads Arizona Western 1-0 in the 2021 #NJCAASoccer DI Men’s Championship final!
Catch all of the action live on the NJCAA Network ⤵️https://t.co/O3OqYVnfCr pic.twitter.com/26y6WtMNFR
— NJCAA Network (@NJCAANetwork) November 21, 2021
Following his run in junior college, Probo transferred to NCAA Division I school Creighton University. In his first season at Creighton, Probo scored five goals and tallied 14 assists – the second-most assists in the NCAA. Featuring alongside another future Wanderer in Callum Watson, Probo played a key role in the Bluejays advancing to the semi-finals of the 2022 National Championship tournament.
In 2023, Probo added another eight assists on the way to being named the BIG EAST midfielder of the year while earning a selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team.
“I like to keep it simple on the field, play one or two touches,” Probo said. “I want to make other players better… maybe you don’t notice me a lot during the game, but I make the game easy for my teammates and try to make the whole team play better.”
Probo also played in USL League Two for Vermont Green FC during the summer of 2023.
Current Wanderers roster under contract:
Goalkeepers: Yann Fillion
Defenders: Wesley Timoteo, Zachary Fernandez, Riley Ferrazzo, Cale Loughrey, Dan Nimick, Kareem Sow
Midfielders: Lorenzo Callegari, Aidan Daniels, Vitor Dias, Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, Tomas Giraldo, Giorgio Probo, Andre Rampersad, Camilo Vasconcelos
Forwards: Tiago Coimbra, Massimo Ferrin, Ryan Telfer, Christian Volesky
Full Name: Giorgio Probo
Age: 24
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5’7”
Birth Date: July 19, 1999
Birthplace: Bergamo, Italy
Nationality: Italian
Last Club: Creighton University (NCAA)