Chennaiyin FC and Championship side Norwich City have announced a partnership for mutual development. The ISL club has signed a three-year MOU (Memorandum of Understanding), overseen by Chennaiyin FC vice-president Ekansh Gupta and Norwich City commercial director, Sam Jeffery, the partnership will mainly focus on fostering mutual growth, innovation, and collaboration in football.
This partnership is the latest in a series of such endeavours taken up by teams in the past. Hyderabad FC partnered up with Borussia Dortmund while Bengaluru FC had a deal with Scottish side Rangers. But, nothing substantial came of it.
Chennaiyin FC partner up with Norwich City FC for three years
“We are delighted to unveil our collaboration with Norwich City. Let me be clear: this is far from a mere marketing ploy. We anticipate significant advancements for our developmental teams through this,” Gupta said when asked about the partnership.
It will be interesting to see the practical implications of this deal and whether the two clubs are able to channel their deal into something productive. It could include talent development, education and exchange programs.
But, while the chance of failure is quite high considering the history of such failed deals in the past, it could be the exception to the rule.