Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) outfit Hyderabad FC officially launched their partnership with German football giants Borussia Dortmund during a Live Digital launch organized by the club on Thursday. The new partnership will last for at least two years with an option to extend the deal further till 2025.

“I am delighted to announce this partnership with Hyderabad, which comes at a quite challenging time for all of us during this COVID-19 pandemic. As this partnership shows that sports and particularly football can unite people from all over the world, and I’m grateful for the trust that the board of HFC has in us,” Mr. Carsten Cramer, Managing Director of Borussia Dortmund, said during the digital launch.

Watch: The start of a new era: Hyderabad FC x Borussia Dortmund

Giving an insight into the nature of the partnership, Mr. Cramer added, "The idea is to be more connected to your country (India). Such a partnership shows how serious Dortmund is about the Indian market. Along with coach education, we are also looking for the teams to play each other and that won't happen without a club partnership. We are glad that Hyderabad FC is the black and yellow light for Borussia Dortmund in the country."

Hyderabad FC is the first Indian club to become an exclusive club partner of Dortmund in the country. While this initiative is a first for a Hero ISL outfit, Dortmund has ongoing partnerships with three other clubs in Asia-Oceania. Thai Premier League club Buriram United, Australia’s NPL club Marconi FC and Iwate Grulla Morioka in Japan are the other teams that have a partnership with Dortmund.

Host of the event Anant Tyagi was also joined by the co-owner of Hyderabad FC, Mr. Varun Tripuraneni, who expressed his delight with the partnership. “This partnership is a historic one for Indian football and the start of a new era at the club. We at Hyderabad are committed to developing the football ecosystem in the region and our association with Dortmund will go a long way in helping us achieve success both on and off the pitch,” Mr. Varun said.

He also believes that this partnership will focus of grassroots development and help the club evolve. "This partnership is more about the grassroots. Of course, we are in talks with a couple of members in Hyderabad for the academy, but our immediate plan is the grassroot enhancement. We believe Borussia Dortmund could help us in many ways as we continue to evolve," Mr. Varun explained.

Mr. Suresh Letchmanan, managing director of BVB Asia Pacific, revealed that the clubs have discussed various schemes to improve the youth setup in India, while also boosting Borussia Dortmund's market in the Indian subcontinent.

"We agreed to this deal for mutual benefit. We are here to build a strong youth setup, and our fan success is renowned to the globe as well. Many exciting activities have been planned and it will be performed after the COVID vanishes. We have a special relationship between Borussia Dortmund and Hyderabad FC."

“We will be taking baby steps to realizing our objectives even as our first goal is to have a footprint in India through this partnership. We therefore look forward towards achieving shared successes, both on and off the pitch, as we continue to build nice stories and special experiences for our fans in India and around the region,” he added.

Hyderabad FC is the second Hero ISL outfit to be associated with clubs from Europe after Scottish side Rangers FC had earlier announced their partnership with Hero ISL 2018-19 champions Bengaluru FC. Meanwhile, Mumbai City FC was taken over by City Football Group, who also own Premier League giants Manchester City. The partnership between Hyderabad FC and Borussia Dortmund underlines the growth of Indian football on a global scale.