Sevilla FC, FC Bengaluru United renew partnership; La Liga club to consolidate brand identity in India

Bengaluru, June 10: With the aim to promote football as catalyst for business relations between Indian and Spain, a Sevilla FC delegation visited India for the first time since announcing the partnership with FC Bengaluru United (FCBU) in 2021.

The Sevilla delegation included club president Jose Castro, General Director Jose Maria Cruz and Business General Director Jorge Paradela.

The move from Andalusian football club follows a massive growth program by La Liga called LaLiga Boost.

Sevilla FC, FC Bengaluru United to renew ties

With Sevilla's internationalisation strategy and the potential FCBU, the talent and the country has for becoming a football superpower in Asia, the visiting delegation participated in various activities including meetings with heads of Indian and international companies through the five-day visit, and ended it with participation in a special Extra Time event held at the Leela Palace in Bengaluru by La Liga India on Friday (June 10).

The event, in collaboration with the Indo Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Embassy of Spain, was attended by Consul of Spain in Bangalore, Surbhi Sharma and FC Bengaluru United owner Gaurav Manchanda.

Through LaLiga Boost, the Spanish League is supporting all its 42 clubs with cash injections dedicated to promoting global growth through stadia and infrastructure development, technological advancement and brand strategy

Sevilla has been a key part of this strategy and with its technical, business and technological expertise, has decided to invest in India for partnerships beyond just traditional methods.

The visit to India and footing established in India has allowed the club to understand more about the Indian football and sports culture, while imparting this expertise to business and administrative experts in the country to make a positive impact at the grassroots level.

During the visit, Sevilla participated in several different activities to increase engagement with top football and business administrators from India, starting with launching the FCBU's women's team, which was a step forward by the Indian club based on Sevilla's experience in the arena.

Following this, the La Liga side visited one of India's foremost technology companies -- Infosys -- pertaining to Sevilla's focus on technological innovations, research and development and usage of data.

The Football Hackathon Data Driven Players Performance Assessment, which is a joint initiative by Sevilla and FCBU was also launched in the Garden City.

The final part of their visit, on Saturday (June 11) will see a development tournament called the Sevilla FC Junior Cup taking place at HAL Grounds.

Sevilla FC chief Jose Castro spoke about the initiative, "Our visit to India has been very fruitful and we're thankful to all who helped us understand the opportunities we can explore in this beautiful country. One thing that was clear to us over the course of these five days was the passion Indians have for football and we're more committed than ever before to consolidate and grow the Sevilla brand here."

La Liga India Managing Director Jose Antonio Cachaza shared his views, "It gives us immense pleasure to see Spanish brands, specially those with as strong history and expertise as Sevilla, recognising the potential in the Indian football eco-system. One of our key focus areas since establishing presence here has been to showcase the prospects the country offers to all our global and Spanish partners and bridge the gap."

Sevilla, coached by Julen Lopetegui, who finished fourth in La Liga last season, are known as Kings of Europe, having clinched the UEFA Europa League, a record six times.