The Deutsche Fußball Liga has signed an agreement with Football Sports Development Limited, organiser of the Indian Super League, to share best practices in areas including fan engagement, marketing and technology. One area of work will be developing the structure and commercial model for the ISL’s esports competition the eISL.

The FDSL is the organizer of the Indian Super League (ISL) and is the commercial partner of Indian football. The MoU primarily aims at improving the football practice sessions in India and enables the two countries to learn from their diverse sporting cultures.

ISL 2022-23: DFL And FDSL Sign a Memorandum of Understanding

ISL: DFL And FDSL Sign MoU

The DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, organising body of Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the commercial partner of Indian football and organiser of the Indian Super League. The first knowledge-sharing workshop took place in Frankfurt, Germany.

Speaking about the MoU and the agreement, DFL CEO Donata Hopfen has said that the agreement would help in the ‘growth’ of global football. He also said “India represents an exciting emerging market thanks to the already rapidly-expanding interest in football and the active participation among society in recent years, making football the second largest sport within the country. Therefore, and due to its world-renowned passion for sports, India already plays – and will continue to play – a significant role in the context of the Bundesliga’s international efforts in the years to come. Jointly exploring avenues of collaboration and working closely with the ISL our trusted partner will not only benefit Indian and German professional football, but more importantly will be another important step as we support the growth of the world’s favourite sport globally.”

The brand new association will look into different aspects of partnerships, possible club initiatives and new enhanced experiences around fan engagement. The MoU will also look to benefit from the most delinquent technology and innovation. Apart from football and first-of-its-kind marketing activities, the major aim is to explore and increase a passionate untapped fanbase of the sport.

An FSDL spokesperson said: “We are always looking at partnerships that will help with the holistic growth of the Indian football and bringing best practises from global leagues for Indian clubs to learn from. The DFL has been a strong partner to FSDL over the years and this partnership has continued to evolve with a focus on how to give fans the best experience to Indian football. We hope this partnership will benefit Indian football and its passionate fans.”

Football in India continues to grow in popularity, and German football has already forged close relations with key Indian football stakeholders in recent years. Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig have established club partnerships with many ISL clubs, while the German Football Association (DFB) also has an MoU in place with the All-India Football Federation (AIFF). Additionally, in regards to the development of fan engagement in India, the pair have highlighted an ‘ultimate goal’ to raise awareness and find new ways to grow a ‘passionate but largely untapped fanbase’.