January 18, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – FC Tulsa News Release
TULSA, OK – FC Tulsa and Triestina Calcio are pleased to announce the formation of a long-term strategic partnership. The partnership is the first collaboration between a USL Championship club and an Italian professional organization and will cover all areas of technical squad management including scouting, data analysis, player development and operational best practices.
As part of the partnership, the sporting department of Triestina, led by Alex Menta, will actively advise FC Tulsa on scouting and recruitment initiatives. It is expected that the partnership will further open up pathways between talented young American players to play at high level European clubs, of which Triestina will be a frequent destination. The collaboration between the two clubs will also provide select Triestina players the opportunity to accelerate their professional development through loan moves to the high-level USL Championship, serving to strengthen FC Tulsa’s roster in the process.
“It’s a truly exciting day for FC Tulsa. We are excited to partner with Triestina, a historic and ascending club in Italian football,” said Ryan Craft, Co-Owner of FC Tulsa. “This milestone will foster additional innovation within our scouting department and unlock access to an abundance of new and unique roster talent that will help us compete for trophies for years to come. We expect this partnership to further demonstrate the increasing viability of the USL as a tremendous option for young players to access the top echelon of global soccer. The future for FC Tulsa has never been brighter.”
“We are very pleased to establish this partnership with FC Tulsa,” said Ben Rosenzweig, Chairman and President of Triestina. “We believe FC Tulsa is an ideal partner to help us identify and develop talent on a truly global scale, while strengthening our ties to the US market. This will allow both clubs to offer young players a career path that is better tailored to them, while providing a unique ecosystem where their development can be closely monitored. FC Tulsa shares our ambition, and I am confident that both clubs will benefit from this collaboration for years to come.”
The strategic partnership will further leverage FC Tulsa’s recently acquired best-in-class training facility spanning 60 acres. The grounds consist of 11 outdoor soccer fields and a 190,000 square foot indoor sports facility containing 2 indoor…