SL Benfica and FC Tokyo sign strategic partnership

SL Benfica and FC Tokyo announce the signing of a strategic technical partnership focused on the development of youth football in Japan. With a shared commitment to excellence in the training of young talent, the collaboration aims to prepare the next generation of players through the exchange of best practices, knowledge and resources between the two clubs.

The partnership sets up a solid technical exchange program, with Benfica Campus making its experience available to help FC Tokyo strengthen their position as the leading youth training club in Japan.

This partnership will expand the opportunities for identifying and developing talent in Japan, as well as promoting the experience of young FC Tokyo players between Japan and Portugal.

By sharing SL Benfica's experience, FC Tokyo also hopes to add new perspectives to the youth development environment, set new standards, develop better players and achieve higher results as well as a greater return on sales.

At the beginning of November, a delegation from SL Benfica visited Japan to observe the training sessions and matches of FC Tokyo's youth teams, interacting directly with the club's coaching staff. This visit marks the beginning of an ongoing series of exchanges designed to promote a close and collaborative relationship between each coaching staff.

Miguel Reis, Global Expansion Coordinator of SL Benfica, highlighted the alignment of values and objectives between the two clubs. “FC Tokyo is a historic club, with ambition, vision and an excellent organization in terms of training. Despite the geographical distance, I believe that the two clubs have a lot in common, as we both consider youth training to be a priority”, he said.

Davide Gomes, Technical Coordinator of SL Benfica's International Programs, stressed the unique potential of the collaboration: “It's a great opportunity for Benfica to work with athletes who have highly appreciated characteristics, with excellent technical level and an above-average capacity for will. The challenge is great, but we hope to be able to contribute a lot to making FC Tokyo the benchmark club for training in Japan.”

Shigeya Kawagishi, CEO of FC Tokyo, expressed his enthusiasm for the new partnership and the opportunities it brings. "We are delighted to announce this partnership with SL Benfica. By teaming up with SL Benfica, a strong team in Europe with an excellent reputation in player development and scouting, we will be able to collaborate in strengthening our department and exchanging personnel at the academy. All the J-League clubs are investing in their academies. In this context, we believe that this partnership will provide quality career options for our youth players. This will be of great benefit to our current players and will also contribute to the future scouting and recruitment activities of the clubs' academies. Through the exchange of knowledge and collaboration between the two clubs in player development, FC Tokyo hopes to develop not only the academy, but also the club as a whole."

Mitsushiro Obara, General Manager of FC Tokyo, highlighted the expectations for the continued growth of the academy and the club as a whole through this collaboration. "We hope that this partnership will contribute to the continued development of our Academy division, which won the J-League's 'Best Youth Development Program' award for the third time last season. At the same time, it will allow us to share knowledge about team building and squad composition, as well as information about the European market, within our sports group. Ultimately, we hope that this collaboration will strengthen the sporting side of the club as a whole and increase revenue."

Through this pioneering collaboration, SL Benfica hopes to support the growth of youth football in Japan and promote the values of excellence and dedication that are key to both clubs.