OAKLAND, Calif. – Oakland Roots SC announced on Sunday the club had re-signed veteran defender Emrah Klimenta ahead of the 2023 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

Klimenta is set for his third season with Roots SC, with the former Montenegro international having called Oakland home when his family emigrated to the United States during his childhood. The 31-year-old has made 56 appearances for the club over the past two campaigns, helping Roots SC reach the Western Conference Semifinals of the USL Championship Playoffs in consecutive seasons.

This past campaign, Klimenta led Roots SC with 26 blocked shots, ranked second with 44 interceptions, and also notched 50 clearances while winning 58.4 percent of duels and 59.2 percent of aerial duels.

Klimenta is set to enter his 10th season in the USL Championship overall in 2023, having began his path in the league in 2014 with fellow NorCal club Sacramento Republic FC in its inaugural season. Klimenta made 29 appearances for Sacramento as the side claimed the USL Championship title in its inaugural season. He has now made 197 appearances and logged 16,209 minutes of action across the regular season and playoffs for his career, having also competed for the LA Galaxy II, Reno 1868 FC and San Diego Loyal SC prior to his arrival in Oakland for the 2021 season.