RENO, Nev. – Reno 1868 FC announced on Thursday it had signed defender Emrah Klimenta pending league and federation approval. Klimenta joins the club after a lengthy career with Sacramento Republic FC, where he helped the club claim USL Cup in 2014, and having earned seven international caps for the Montenegro National Team.

“Emrah is one of the top defenders in our league,” 1868 FC Head Coach Ian Russell said. “He’s a Montenegrin International who can play anywhere in the back line. We’re excited to have him join the club.”

Klimenta joined Republic FC in its inaugural season and quickly became a mainstay on the club’s back line. He became Republic FC’s all-time leader in minutes, appearances, and starts, recording 102 total appearances, nine goals and five assists in Republic FC’s colors.

In May of 2016, the Montenegro native was called up to the Montenegro National Team for a friendly against Turkey. Klimenta made his senior debut for Montenegro on May 29th, 2016 and was called up for two separate World Cup Qualifying matches later that year. He has since appeared in seven matches for his home country.

After four years with Sacramento Republic FC, the defender signed with LA Galaxy ahead of the 2018 season. He made his MLS debut on May 21st, 2018 when he started against Montreal Impact and helped the team to a 1-0 victory. After making two appearances for LA Galaxy, he was released by the club and returned to Republic FC for the remainder of the 2018 season.

“I’m happy to be joining a quality team like Reno 1868 FC, a team that knows how to win and compete, a club that’s reached playoffs every year since their existence,” Klimenta said. “I’m looking forward to working with Ian Russell and the coaching staff and, of course, getting on the field with my teammates. I’m ready to make this a great season with a lot of victories.”