TULSA – FC Tulsa has named Leandro Spinola its Sports Science Director ahead of the 2025 USL Championship season. In a related move, FC Tulsa has appointed Destiny Lalaguna as Head Athletic Trainer.
Spinola joins head coach Luke Spencer and the club after two seasons as Head of Sports Science at Memphis 901 FC, where he worked alongside Caleb Sewell, now FC Tulsa’s Sporting Director and General Manager. A native of Brazil, Spinola brings 24 years of experience cultivating talent, with multiple players earning National Team and Premier League opportunities under his tutelage.
In his roles, he has worked with international standouts including Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli and defenders Murilo and Carlos Augusto, who play for Palmeiras and Inter Milan, respectively.
“I’m incredibly excited to get started,” Spinola said. “The opportunity to come here and build something special that FC Tulsa can be proud of is one of the key reasons I’m here. We have an outstanding facility — arguably the best in the league — and it provides everything we need to develop our players to their fullest potential.”
A key cog in Brazil’s soccer development, Spinola arrived stateside after a seven-year stint as Strength and Conditioning Coach at Corinthians Paulista in the top tier of Brazilian soccer.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Leandro to FC Tulsa,” Spencer said. “His background in developing elite talent at the highest levels speaks for itself. From working with top international players to leading sports science programs in top-tier environments, he brings a wealth of knowledge that will be instrumental in maximizing our squad’s performance.
“His expertise will be a huge asset as we head into the season and in our quest of making the FC Tulsa Sport Science department a reference within our league.”
Lalaguna, MS, LAT, ATC joins FC Tulsa after serving as an Assistant Athletic Trainer with Phoenix Rising FC from 2023 to 2025, where she was part of the club’s 2023 USL Championship-winning season. Before her time in Phoenix, Lalaguna was the Head Athletic Trainer for Barca Residency Academy.
Lalaguna began her athletic training career as an intern within the Real Salt Lake organization, where she worked with Real Monarchs during the 2019 season, culminating in a USL Championship title.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance from Montana State University-Billings and a Master of Science in Athletic Training from Weber State University. In addition to her credentials as a licensed (LAT) and certified (ATC) athletic trainer, Lalaguna is certified in Spinal Manipulation, Dry Needling and holds a NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) certification.
Spinola and Lalaguna join FC Tulsa ahead of its March 8 season opener at Phoenix Rising FC.
