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ISL side FC Goa sign strategic partnership deal with RB Leipzig

ISL side FC Goa sign strategic partnership deal with RB Leipzig

ISL side FC Goa signs strategic partnership deal with RB Leipzig

The semi-finalist of UEFA Champions League 2019-20 season Red Bull Leipzig are branching into India after announcing a three-year partnership with Indian Super League (ISL) club FC Goa. RB Leipzig have been in talks with FC Goa since 2018 and both the clubs have now struck a deal.

The three-year deal runs until June 2023 and will include football training camps for young players in India, which for the moment might happen online due to COVID-19. The partnership will also feature training of coaches and exchange of know-how regarding club structures.

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FC Goa co-owner and president Akshay Tandon said Leipzig are the "perfect partner" given their experience of climbing the German football pyramid since their formation in 2009.

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"They have shown the world of football how to build from the ground up... and that’s something we resonate with," he added.
Leipzig’s CEO Oliver Mintzlaff hinted that the three-year partnership could result in an Indian footballer coming to Germany soon.
Even Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, also the co-owner of FC Goa, took to social media platform Twitter to welcome RB Leipzig as FC Goa’s strategic partner.

“I want to extend a warm welcoming hand to @FCGoaOfficial, who today have joined hands with @RBLeipzig_EN as the club's strategic partner. I have seen the visions of both the clubs and am confident that this partnership will be a long and fruitful one. #RiseAgain #DreamsStartHere,” Kohli tweeted.

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RB Leipzig stormed into Bundesliga by climbing from the fifth tier and finished behind Bayern Munich to qualify for the UEFA Champions League in 2017/18.

In 2019-20, they reached the knockout stages of UCL for the first-time while defeating the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid before losing out to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals.

With international TV revenues declining, Mitnzlaff reckons this was the perfect opportunity to introduce German football to the Indian market.
Goa's "innovative approach" makes it a "perfect fit" for the ambitious German club, he added.
Meanwhile, FC Goa won the Indian Super Cup in 2019 and finished top of ISL table last season under Juan Ferrando.