It has been over three decades since the name Biello adorned the back of an FC Supra kit.
Back in 1992, Mauro Biello, now an assistant coach with the Canadian men's national team, began his 10-year playing career with the Montréal Supra in the CSL. The club and league folded following that season, but in its short lifespan left a legacy within the Québec soccer community.
As the Supra name returns with the Canadian Premier League's first Québec team, FC Supra du Québec, the club announced on Wednesday that Mauro's son, Alessandro, has signed ahead of their inaugural season.
The 19-year-old midfielder spent over a decade in the CF Montréal system, including four appearances for the first team. He also captained Canada at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2023. Now he's ready for the next chapter with a club that has a lot of significance to him and his family.
"It makes it mean a little bit more," Alessandro Biello told CanPL.ca. "I'm a young player looking to kickstart my career, and [my dad] was kind of in the same situation as a young player joining Supra. So there's that connection as well. I think it's an amazing opportunity, and it just means a little bit more [with] my dad having played for Supra as well."
The Montréal native played last season in the CPL on loan from CF Montréal with the Halifax Wanderers, but now he's looking to make a bigger impact.
Providing a platform for young local talent like Biello is precisely the mission statement of FC Supra. It comes at a time when the province is making global headlines for the calibre of players it is producing.
That includes Biello's former CF Montréal teammate Nathan Saliba, who recently signed with Anderlecht in the Belgian top flight and plays for the Canadian men's national team. In constructing an inaugural roster made up of local players, they are giving this talent a chance to reach their potential.
"This team now, it's like a new era for soccer in Québec," said Biello. "So many talented players have come from this province and are playing in some of the biggest clubs in Europe. And we're grateful for this opportunity to represent Québec and take on this challenge.
"We're going to do everything we can to try and make this as successful as possible and to have a good first season."
Moving to Supra is undoubtedly a major change for Biello. He spent over a decade within the CF Montréal system — ever since joining the U-8 pre-academy team in 2014.
"It was tough, it was an emotional transition, having been there my whole life, and the connection I formed with that club," said Biello. "And I'll be honest, that club meant everything to me. I was a fan ever since I was a little kid, because my dad was coaching, and I joined the pre-academy and was there ever since, and I lived so many amazing moments as a player, as a fan, whether it was in the academy or as a pro."
He did, however, spend last season on loan in the Canadian Premier League with the Halifax Wanderers. That was an important year of learning, living away from home for the first time, but also dealing with the emotions and frustrations of not seeing the pitch as much as he would have hoped.
Despite making 21 CPL appearances, he started just three times and played a combined 349 minutes for the Wanderers during the 2025 season and playoffs.
"I felt like I deserved more last year, and in the end, the opportunities just didn't come," said Biello. "It was frustrating at first, but in the end, I kind of realized that it's out of my control, and all I could control is the way I train, the way I take care of myself and whenever the opportunity arises, just trying to make the most of it."
Biello will bring those lessons, and motivation, into his first season with FC Supra in a unique experience where everyone else is new to the team as well. He is already impressed with the level of recruitment he has seen, including established CPLers like David Choinière, Aboubacar Sissoko and his former Halifax teammate Sean Rea,
"I feel like there's a great balance," said Biello. "There's a lot of young guys that are hungry for this opportunity, and we've just got to be able to build that winning culture and good environment to allow us to succeed."
Supra kick off their inaugural Training Camp, presented by WestJet, on Wednesday at Complexe Multi-Sports de Laval, where Biello and his new teammates will begin the countdown to the club's historic first season.
