Dempo tie-up with Denmark's FC Midtjylland

I-League champions Dempo SC have entered into a partnership with Danish Superliga side FC Midtjylland to develop its young elite players, but also work on the overall development of the club. This isn't the first such partnership for an Indian club, the other partnerships have been or are with English clubs; East Bengal Club with Leicester City FC and JCT with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Under the partnership FC Midtjylland has given a commitment to help provide technical know-how, expertise in marketing and administration as well as a strong focus on youth development to raise the level of Dempo not only in India but to an Asia level. The deal has been worked out by agency New World Consulting with the two clubs.

FC Midtjylland is known to have a good youth development system in place. The best known player from the Academy is defender Simon Kjaer, who currently plays for VfL Wolfsburg in Germany. Also the club has development player partnerships with FC Midtjylland Maamobi United (Ghana) and FC Ebedei (Nigeria).

Dempo chairman Shrinivas Dempo expressed excitement over this new initiative by saying, "I am certain that this partnership will lead to a new era of cooperation that will eventually contribute to greater development of Indian football."

Dempo SC under the leadership of Dempo Group chairman Shrinivas Dempo and guidance of coach-cum-secretary Armando Colaco has been going from strength to strength over the last decade. Four National Football League/I-League titles are prove of that. The club is said to be working on plans to build an own stadium in or around Panaji to further its development.

Armando Colaco has been working on his squad over the years mostly bringing in two/three new players for specific positions with this year an exception as many players were away at the India camp for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. It shows as Dempo currently boast of having seven international players in their ranks.