On Wednesday, NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women’s Soccer League and SL Benfica of the Campeonato Nacional Feminino announced a new strategic partnership aimed at advancing women’s soccer development and expanding their global reach. The partnership will give Gotham FC access to the knowledge and methodologies of SL Benfica with hopes that the collaboration will strengthen the club’s competitive edge in the NWSL.
“Gotham FC is one of the nation’s longest-running women’s professional soccer clubs, and we are excited to showcase our experience, our talent, and our youth. As women’s football is rapidly growing in the United States, Gotham FC is proud to help encourage the rise in youth participation and fan engagement.” said Josh Murphy, Gotham FC Senior Advisor on Soccer Operations and Soccer Partnerships. “Alongside SL Benfica, this partnership provides an opportunity to bring a familiar connection from Portugal to the Portuguese community in our own backyard of New York and New Jersey, while positioning Gotham FC as a global brand. Together, our collective commitment will help grow the game and expand our reach in the U.S. and internationally.”
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Among various elements of this partnership is the establishment of a preference agreement, which will enable Benfica to identify and recruit players from Gotham FC to play in Europe. In addition to helping to create future opportunities for player movement, the collaboration also presents a number of communication opportunities that will allow both clubs to leverage the strength of each other’s brands.
“Benfica can benefit a lot from this partnership because women’s soccer in the U.S. is very advanced, with millions of federated players. With the investment that Benfica has made we believe that we will reach higher levels in women’s soccer and this partnership and relationship with the USA will contribute to that,” said Bernardo Faria de Carvalho, Global Expansion Director at Benfica.
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