Atlanta United today announced it has signed Sal Zizzo as a free agent. The 30-year-old right back spent the last three seasons with New York Red Bulls and has more than 160 MLS appearances since joining the league in 2010. Prior to MLS, Zizzo spent three years with Hannover 96 of the German Bundesliga.
“We know Sal had options this offseason and we’re happy he has chosen to sign with our club,” Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said. “He’s a defender who we’ve seen play in a similar high-tempo style with New York Red Bulls and we expect him to come in and compete on our backline.”
A native of San Diego, Calif., Zizzo has more than 240 career appearances between time in Germany and the United States. He is a versatile fullback capable of playing on the wing and has 17 career assists in MLS. Most recently, Zizzo played with New York Red Bulls where he made 23 appearances and recorded two assists in 2017.
Zizzo began his professional career in 2007 with Hannover 96. He transferred to Chivas USA ahead of the 2010 season where he spent one year before he was traded to Portland Timbers for its inaugural season in 2011. Zizzo played three seasons in Portland, making 60 appearances while scoring two goals and tallying seven assists. He was traded to Sporting Kansas City for the 2014 season where he made 19 appearances and recorded three assists. After being drafted by New York City FC in the 2014 MLS Expansion Draft, Zizzo was traded to New York Red Bulls where he has played since 2015. Over three seasons with the Red Bulls, Zizzo was an important part of the club’s backline making 73 total appearances. He made a career-high 20 starts in 2016 and recorded two assists in each of his three seasons with New York.
PLAYER PROFILE
Name: Sal Zizzo
Position: Defender
Birthdate: April 3, 1987 (age: 30)
Birthplace: San Diego, Calif.
Height: 5-10
Citizenship: United States, Italy
Previous Club: New York Red Bulls
Transaction: Signed as a free agent with Atlanta United on Jan. 30, 2018
