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Watford FC on Wednesday announced that it has signed a three-year International Club Partnership with Indian Super League outfit Odisha FC. This collaboration will be mutually beneficial for the regions where each club operates and will cover both footballing and non-footballing aspects.
The partnership will play an important role in the development of the footballing eco-system in Odisha, where coaches from Watford will help with the establishment of youth systems, while members of Odisha FC's elite youth team will have the opportunity to train with Watford's players. Watford and Odisha FC will support each other with the scouting and training of young footballers, as well as collaborating to promote grassroots programmes.
The clubs will also work together on the development of women's football in the state of Odisha and across India, with friendly matches organised between their women's teams.
In addition, the Bhubaneswar-based side will have the opportunity to train at Watford as part of their pre-season schedule, also playing friendly matches in England, and the clubs will share ideas around marketing and social media visibility.
Watford FC's Commercial Director Paul O'Brien said of the partnership: "This is something really quite different and we love to get involved in new things that provide really different experiences for the club and our staff."
"Partnering with Odisha FC gives us a chance to get a real insight into football's global appeal and affords us a great chance to share learnings with a similarly ambitious club," he added.
Odisha FC's Club President Raj Athwal said: "We are excited and proud to announce a unique partnership with English Premier League club Watford FC. With both clubs looking to grow their brands globally, the partnership provides a unique platform to not only share best practices in all areas of our club but enhance the development of future players."