Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the commercial partner of Indian football and the organisation of the Indian Super League, and the Deutsche Futball Liga (DFL), the governing body of Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the intention of gaining valuable insights into the respective sporting cultures of the two regions and bringing world-class practises to Indian football.

Both parties agree to concentrate on a number of areas of collaboration, potential club initiatives, and an exchange of experiences around fan engagement, as well as a strong focus on leveraging the most recent technology and innovation, given the different parameters and opportunities that arise from Europe and India. Frankfurt, Germany hosted the inaugural workshop for sharing knowledge.

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The ultimate objective in developing fan interaction in India, along with football games and experiential marketing initiatives, is to spread knowledge and discover fresh approaches to expand a devoted but largely untapped fanbase.

Another important area is eFootball, where DFL and FSDL are collaborating to create an organisational framework and business model for the eISL.

Donata Hopfen, CEO of the DFL, stated that India represents an attractive emerging market because of the already quickly growing interest in football and the recent active involvement among society, making football the second-largest sport in the nation. India therefore already plays – and will continue to play – a key part in the global sports community due to its well-known passion for the game in 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.”

“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,” FSDL said in a statement.

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).