Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg will have their logo on the kit of U.S. third division team Chattanooga FC of the National Independent Soccer Association as part of a partnership between the two clubs.
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"The German Bundesliga team will be the official sponsor of the 2021 away kit for the men's team currently playing in the US third division NISA," both clubs said in their announcement on Thursday.
Wolfsburg will also help Chattanooga with the return of their women's team in 2022, which was disbanded in 2018. Wolfsburg have won the UEFA Women's Champions League in 2013 and 2014, as well as six German women's league titles.
Wolfsburg and Chattanooga had begun the cooperation in 2017. The clubs also agreed to share knowledge between their analytics and coaching departments, as well as work on player development.
"In my opinion, Chattanooga FC is absolutely unique and a true one-off. The club is owned by its fans, which resonates with me in a special way. I have been there several times myself and was always impressed and inspired by the vibrancy and energy of this club and city," Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schafer, who ended his playing career at Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2018, said.
"There are some truly exciting things to come for Chattanooga FC, and we're proud to be leading the way forward for American soccer," CFC board chairman Tim Kelly said.
The agreement between Chattanooga and Wolfsburg is not the only one between a German team and a U.S.-based side. Last September, Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim and Major League Soccer franchise FC Cincinnati announced a new partnership focusing on knowledge and data sharing. Bayern Munich and FC Dallas also formed a partnership in February 2018.
United States defender Chris Richards, who started at the FC Dallas academy before moving to Bayern, has emerged as a talent that has broken into the Bundesliga. On loan at Hoffenheim, the 21-year-old has featured in 11 Bundesliga games, one German Super Cup match and has also appeared in both the Champions League and Europa League.