FC Tokyo has entered into a strategic partnership with SL Benfica, which belongs to the Primeira Liga (Portugal's top division). We would like to inform you of this.
□Purpose and Content of Partnership
We will establish a technical partnership with a strong team in Europe, recognized as top-class in discovering and developing talented players, and promote the sharing of best practices, knowledge, resources, and personnel exchanges between the two clubs.
This partnership will add new perspectives and standards to FC Tokyo's talent discovery and development environment. It will also create opportunities for talented players, including young players from the top team as well as the academy, to gain experience playing in Portugal.
Additionally, through the visits of consultants a few times a year, we aim to share the expertise of SL Benfica across the entire football department, expanding opportunities for discovering and developing the next generation of talent, as well as promoting the overall development of the club's football aspects, including strengthening and football business.
□About SL Benfica
Founded in 1904, it is one of the three major clubs in Portugal, based in the capital city of Lisbon, and is considered a highly regarded big club in Europe.
【Results (Europe)】
UEFA Champions League (Cup) Champion 2 times, Runner-up 8 times
【Results (Domestic)】
Most league championships in Portugal: 38 times, Cup victories: 26 times
Ranked 9th in the "Best Club of the 20th Century" list announced by IFFHS in 2009.
□Comment
Benfica
・Miguel Reis Global Expansion Coordinator
"FC Tokyo is a historic club with ambition, vision, and an excellent academy organization for youth development. Despite being geographically distant, both clubs prioritize player development and talent cultivation, and there are many commonalities in this partnership."
・David Gomes Technical Coordinator of Benfica’s International Programs
"For SL Benfica, it is a great opportunity to collaborate with young athletes who possess highly regarded abilities such as excellent technical skills and very high motivation. This challenge is truly significant, and we hope to greatly contribute to making FC Tokyo the benchmark club for youth training in Japan."
FC Tokyo
・Shigeya Kawagishi, President and CEO
"We are very pleased to announce this partnership with SL Benfica in this way. SL Benfica is a top European club known for its player development and scouting. By partnering with them, we can collaborate in strengthening departments and facilitate personnel exchanges in the academy. Every J.League club invests in their academy. Through this partnership, we believe we can offer academy players high-quality career options. This is a great benefit for the players currently with us and will also significantly contribute to the club’s future scouting and recruiting activities for the academy. Through knowledge exchange and cooperation in player development between the two clubs, FC Tokyo aims to advance not only in the academy field but also as a club overall."
・Mitsushiro OBARA GM
"Through this partnership, we expect to contribute to the further development of our academy department, which won the Best Youth Development Club Award for the third time last season. At the same time, we will be able to share insights on team building and player squad composition in the strengthening department, as well as information from the European market. By gaining insights from them, who continue to win titles while also realizing profits from player transfers, we ultimately aim to strengthen the football aspect of the entire club and improve revenue."
