Southampton Football Club is delighted to welcome Thane City FC to its portfolio of International Academy Partners, marking the club’s first partnership in India.
The club has signed a partnership that will see Southampton FC’s Football Partnership team supporting Thane City’s development goals over the next three years, this was announced Premier League club on Tuesday.
Thane City FC’s aim is to create an environment that challenges, inspires and encourages aspiring footballers, by enabling them to reach their fullest potential.
Mark Abrahams, Director of Business & Community Development commented; “Our International Academy Partnerships are built on a shared value in coach and player development. We’re delighted to welcome Thane City to the programme and look forward to working with their coaching team and the Thane community over the coming years.”
Located on the north-western side of the state of Maharashtra, the city is an immediate neighbour of Mumbai Metropolitan Region city and a part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
The partnership will see a range of opportunities for Thane City FC staff, players and parents to engage with Southampton FC’s coach and player development programme. Areas of focus include: access to the SFC curriculum, online resource library and Coach Education webinar series. SFC Academy staff will also undertake a visit to Thane each year to work with both coaches and players, when travel corridors open up and it is safe to travel.
Prashant J Singh, co-founder of Thane City FC said, “This partnership will propel the entire football ecosystem not only in Thane but the entire region. With a residential setup in process, partnering with a club like Southampton was exactly what we needed in terms of expertise, knowledge-sharing, and exchange programs.”
Prashant, who also currently serves as the technical director at the club, emphasized the program as being more than just a social media exercise. He also said that the club will be bringing in a new technical director to oversee the program going forward.
“We have been really looking at developing youth. And that’s why we don’t foresee having a senior squad anytime soon. We’ll be focusing on youth development for at least the next 2-3 years,” Prashant added.
Amit Ummat, Chief Executive Officer of Complete Sports Solutions India said on this partnership, “ It is an honour to be part of the journey in negotiating this partnership with Southampton and Thane City FC. We are proud to be in a position to partner a club that is laden with history in England with an exciting and vibrant club in Thane City FC to aid their growth and development.”
Southampton FC has a growing portfolio of International Academy Partners that support like-minded Clubs and organisations with their ambitions on and off the pitch. For further details on the Thane City FC partnership or for enquiries contact global@saintsfc.co.uk