Miami FC signs veteran Italian defender

Miami FC, hoping to strengthen the team before the playoffs, signed Italian defender Alessandro Lambrughi on Wednesday.

Lambrughi, 30, has played for Italian Serie B club Livorno most of his career. He came up through the A.C. Milan youth academy, played in the lower divisions and then signed with Livorno in 2010. He played 259 matches for Livorno over seven years and was instrumental in Livorno’s promotion to Serie A in 2013. The club played one season in the top division, and then moved back to Serie B.

"As I mentioned before, we have been looking to add some support in our defense," said Miami FC coach Alessandro Nesta, the legendary Italian defender. "I think that Alessandro will do exactly that. He's a player with years of experience in Italy and helped his team accomplish a lot. We hope that he can bring that passion and athleticism to our team."

Lambrughi will be available for Sunday's road match against the Jacksonville Armada. Miami FC is in first place in the NASL standings, coming off a 1-0 road victory over the Carolina RailHawks.

This story was originally published August 16, 2017 at 6:35 PM with the headline "Miami FC signs veteran Italian defender."