I-League 2 team Sudeva FC launches collaboration with VfB Stuttgart for grassroots development

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New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) I-League second division team Sudeva FC on Monday launched its official collaboration with German top-tier side VfB Stuttgart to promote grassroots and youth development through high-quality training programmes and international exposure.

The partnership was launched at the presence of Sudeva FC President Anuj Gupta, VfB Stuttgart Board member Rouven Kasper and Germany's southern state Baden-Wurttemberg's Economic Affairs Minister Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut.

VfB Stuttgart, one of the oldest clubs in Germany, have won two Bundesliga titles. They finished runners-up in the last Bundesliga season (2023-24). The collaboration with Sudeva FC is their first in Asia.

Under the collaboration which is of three years initially, VfB Stuttgart's youth level coaches at Sudeva FC will visit twice a year to train the Delhi-based club's coaching staff and the residential academy players.

"This collaboration is meant for the grassroots and youth level. VfB Stuttgart youth team's top coaching staff will come to Sudeva's residential academy twice a year and they will train our coaching staff and the players," Gupta told PTI.

"They will identify the talented players from the U-13, U-15 and U-17 teams we have at our residential academy and if they (players) are good enough, they will be taken to VfB Stuttgart to train there in their academy," said Gupta who is also the president of Delhi Football.

Sudeva competed in the I-League for three consecutive seasons before being relegated to I-League 2 in 2022-23.

The actual agreement for the partnership was signed a few months back in Germany when the Sudeva FC's U-15 team participated in the MTU Cup. Monday marked the official launch of the partnership.

Asked about the reason behind the collaboration, Gupta said, "Germany is a country which is among the best in the world in terms of grassroots and youth development.

"I am hoping that this collaboration ultimately leads to the unearthing of at least one Indian player to play in the Bundesliga in future. I am also hoping to produce players who will play in the Indian team for the FIFA U-17 World Cup through this collaboration." Gupta also said that exchange programmes like the Sudeva FC U-15 team's "dream" participation in the MTU Cup last year in Germany will continue.

"In the MTU Cup, our team played against the same age group teams of big clubs like Bayern Munich, Chelsea FC, Borussia Dortmund, Olympique Marseille. Our team did very well and competed at almost same level. Our team even drew with Bayern Munich U-15 side and that was the best result.

"This kind of exposure tournaments will continue." VfB Stuttgart Board member Kasper said that it was his club's first collaborative venture in Asia which he is hoping to be of mutual benefit.

"We have a collaboration with Sao Paulo FC in Brazil, but the nature of that collaboration is different. This one with Sudeva is the first in Asia. We have been engaging with Sudeva for the last three years and we found this club to be really doing very good work in grassroots and youth development.

"So, we went in for this collaboration with Sudeva. We are not here for any kind of publicity and marketing gains or leverage by collaborating with Sudeva, we want real spotting of talented players and nurturing them to high-quality footballers of future. We are also here to give professional and quality training to the coaching staff of Sudeva.

"This collaboration will initially be of three years and let us see later how it can grow and extend further in future." PTI PDS PDS ATK ATK