Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Delhi Dynamos have signed a partnership deal with Aspire Academy, it was announced here yesterday.
The agreement is likely to see the world-renowned academy share its best management practices and football know-how with the 2016 ISL semifinalists.
As part of the deal, Aspire Academy coaches, talent scouts and analysts will travel to Delhi to help develop the club’s existing talent and promote best practice in scouting for the club's youth development programmes.
In return, youth players from the Dynamos will join the "Aspire Residential Programme", which gives young footballers the chance to train and learn at the Doha academy.
Ivan Bravo (pictured right), Aspire Academy's Director General, said he was "thrilled" by the partnership.
"Today's announcement marks an important milestone for Delhi Dynamos FC and Aspire Academy," he said.
"Our two organisations share many of the same values and ambitions, and together we will lay the first foundations of what we hope will become a long-standing partnership in football development between Qatar and India."
The tie-up brings together two of the most ambitious "young" footballing nations, pairing the 2022 World Cup hosts with a country which has potentially one of the sport's largest audiences in the world.
Anil Sharma, owner of Delhi Dynamos FC, said: "India and Qatar are two countries with close ties and it is only natural that there is a partnership between two organisations based in their respective capital cities."
"I am happy and excited to see Delhi Dynamos FC partner with a prestigious organisation in order to help grow football not only in Delhi, but in Northern India as well. The Indian Super League has great potential and Aspire Academy’s involvement will help to cement Delhi Dynamos FC’s reputation as one of the most exciting clubs in Indian football. Both organisations have lofty expectations and we will work hard to provide global opportunities for young Indian players and make football the number one sport in Northern India. "
The ISL was founded in 2013 and has become one of the fastest-growing professional football leagues in the world, with an average match attendance of more than 26,000 (2015 season average), the third-highest of any domestic professional league in the world - behind only the Bundesliga and the Premier League - and the highest in Asia. Since its inaugural season, the ISL and Delhi Dynamos FC in particular have attracted some of the biggest names in world football, including Alessandro Del Piero, who was the global league ambassador, Florent Malouda, Roberto Carlos and John Arne Riise, to name a few.
Aspire Academy’s agreement with DDFC is the first of its kind in the Indian subcontinent for the academy and follows a global network the academy has developed with other leading clubs including KAS Eupen (Belgium), Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa (Spain) and Independiente del Valle (Ecuador).
