New Pittsburgh soccer team hires noted Italian scout

Pittsburgh United FC, the newly formed United Premier Soccer League club, announced a signing Thursday that it hopes will make a major impact on its roster when it begins play in the fall.

It’s not a striker or goalkeeper. It’s a scout.

The team announced the addition of Nicola Martini as its director of scouting. Martini has worked as an intermediary for multiple agencies in Europe. Most recently, he helped facilitate the move of US national team player Bryan Reynolds from FC Dallas to AS Roma.

“I am very excited to be a part of Pittsburgh City United FC and its promising future,” Martini said in a release. “I look forward to adding my experience to the team and working alongside (owner Michael Anton Monsour) in order to grow the team and fulfill its mission.”

Monsour said the hiring of Martini will provide his club’s players with the necessary exposure to European clubs.

“Nicola Martini provides a wealth of knowledge and experience at the highest levels of European football that will help both our young players and veterans improve from the moment they choose to represent the Pittsburgh City United FC crest,” Monsour said in a release. “We are taking the potential success of this upcoming season and the 2022 US Open Cup very seriously and we hope this is a first step to proving just that.”

The team will hold an invitation-only tryout July 10-11. Prospective players can email a resume and video clips to scoutingdepartment@pittsburghcityunitedfc.com.