Box-to-Box Midfielder Becomes First Brazilian Signing in Trident History

Langford, B.C. – (January 29, 2025) – Pacific FC today announced the signing of defensive midfielder Daniel de Pauli to a guaranteed contract for 2025 with a club option for 2026.

De Pauli, 25, is a native of Goiânia, Brazil, who has played in Brazil’s top division and joins the Canadian Premier League (CPL) after most recently representing FC Krumovgrad in the top tier of Bulgarian soccer.

“Daniel is an experienced central midfielder with a high pedigree,” said James Merriman, Head Coach, Pacific FC. “He’s played in the top division of Brazilian football and brings a different dynamic to our midfield than what we’ve had.”

De Pauli spent his youth career with his hometown club Goiás, debuting for their senior team in 2019 in the Campeonato Brasileiro or Série A, the top-flight of Brazilian soccer. He was promoted to the first team full-time for the 2020 season and made 33 appearances for the club before he was sent on loan to Brazilian clubs Associação Atlética Aparecidense and Athletic Club, respectively.

He completed his five years of professional play in Brazil with stints with Cerrado in 2023 and Goiânia Esporte Clube in 2024.

Following his success in Brazil, de Pauli signed with Krumovgrad where he appeared in 12 league matches last season for the Bulgarian club.

De Pauli is a versatile midfielder capable of playing both as a dynamic box-to-box midfielder and as a defensive-minded holding midfielder. He strengthens the Tridents’ midfield alongside homegrown talents Sean Young and Sami Keshavarz, as well as recent signing Aidan Daniels.

“Daniel is a very technical player with a high work-rate who is capable of dictating the tempo and rhythm of the game,” said Merriman.

Current 2025 Pacific FC Roster as of January 29:

Goalkeepers: Emil Gazdov, Sean Melvin

Defenders: Christian Greco-Taylor, Aly Ndom, Juan Quintana, Kadin Chung, Georges Mukumbilwa

Midfielders: Sean Young, Sami Keshavarz, Aidan Daniels, Daniel de Pauli

Forwards: Dario Zanatta, Josh Heard, Ronan Kratt, Marco Bustos

Stay tuned to pacificfc.ca and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

 -30- 

ABOUT PACIFIC FOOTBALL CLUB

Founded in 2018, Pacific Football Club brings professional football to Vancouver Island. Playing out of Starlight Stadium in Langford, the club provides an outlet for Canadian soccer players to compete at the professional level of the sport on home soil through the Canadian Premier League.