MLS New York City FC

New York City FC Sign Argentine Defender Diego Martínez

Published on January 22, 2016 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
New York City FC News Release


New York City FC announced today the signing of Argentine defender Diego Martínez.

The left back joins on a free transfer from the Argentinian club, River Plate.

"I am very excited to join New York City FC and am grateful for the opportunity the Club has given me," said Martínez. "I have played in Argentina for my whole career and I know that now is the right time for a new experience as I continue to progress as a player and a person," said Martínez. "I'm looking forward to playing for a big club with big players. The team has already become very important within the sporting fabric of New York, so I am excited to get to work and meet my new teammates."

Martinez, 23, developed at River Plate, making his professional first team debut in 2012 and appearing in 13 matches for the first team over the course of the next year.

New York City FC Sporting Director Claudio Reyna praises Martínez's defending skills.

"Diego is a young player, but has a good level of experience having played with the first team at River Plate. He's a quick strong defender that can attack as well as defend. In the last week we've added three young players to the roster which is really exciting for the future and development of this team."

In 2013 he made 18 appearances on loan with Sarmiento (Junin) and 20 appearances on loan for Patronato de Parana in 2014.

Head Coach Patrick Vieira is happy to add another young player to the Club.

"I'm really pleased to add another young and talented player to our group. We are adding an energetic and hardworking player that will only continue to improve alongside the rest of our team," said Vieira. "I'm hoping Diego will be able to join the team during the first part of our pre-season training camp. Pre-season is an important moment for new signings to integrate into the squad and get to know their teammates better."

Player Bio:

Name: Diego Martínez

Position: Defender

Height: 5-10

Weight: 158 lbs.

Born: January. 19, 1992

Age: 24

Hometown: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Last Club: River Plate

Citizenship: Argentina




Major League Soccer Stories from January 22, 2016


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