Football the ultimate winner: Muthoot and Dortmund’s partnership will be a boost for youth development.
| Photo Credit: special arrangement

Kerala-based Muthoot Football Academy turned over a new leaf for youth development as its parent company, Muthoot Pappachan Group (MPG), signed a partnership with Bundesliga giant Borussia Dortmund this week.

Dortmund, with one of Europe’s best youth academies, has honed youngsters like Mario Goetze (academy product), Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham, who went on to become FIFA World Cup (Goetze) and UEFA Champions League (Bellingham – Real Madrid, Haaland – Manchester City) winners.

“I have been to several places in India, and have had the chance also to meet with some of the ISL (Indian Super League) clubs,” Christian Diercks, the managing director of the club’s Academy, said.

“What I feel on working with Muthoot is that the holistic approach is more important than just supporting one player to become a professional and make a living (out of football), and get transferred to Europe one day. I think this is the most important factor.”

Muthoot has made inroads in age-group tournaments and State football in the last few years, lifting the Kerala Premier League this year and finishing third in the Reliance Foundation Development League (U-19) the year before.

“The first six months to one year will be about assessing what our requirements are in Kerala to start, from the grassroots upwards,” Hannah Muthoot, Director of Sports at MPG, said.

“Coaches will be travelling to Dortmund, and coaches from there will come to Kerala. We’ll have players from here going to Dortmund and the same way back.”

This is not the first investment from the German side in India. Dortmund previously joined hands with Hyderabad FC in the ISL in 2020, which got discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2023, the club partnered with AMM Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Murugappa Group in Chennai, to help the lesser-privileged communities – one that is still active.