NPFL, Spanish La Liga Sign Partnership Deal
The League Management Company (LMC) and Spanish Premier League (La Liga) as they sign partnership deal[/caption]
The League Management Company (LMC) has signed a five-year technical and commercial partnership deal with the Spanish Premier League (La Liga) for the development of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), on Tuesday in Abuja.
Nigeria’s football governing body to include President Amaju Pinnick and LMC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko led its management while a delegation of Spanish Premier League board, with La Liga President Javier Tebas, led the Spanish delegation to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Present at the signing was Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, and the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Alfonso Barnuevo Sebastian de Erice, standing as witnesses for their respective national leagues.
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Speaking at the event, the LMC boss expressed his delight over the agreement, stating that the partnership would see Nigerian coaches and clubs embark on capacity building tour of Spain and the Spanish La Liga.
“We are excited with what happened today because it will help in our quest to change the face of football in Nigeria, using the international best practices.
“We are privileged to lead the reform that is expected to take Nigerian league to the next level.
“La Liga is one of the richest leagues in the world. So, we want to tap from them to make our league better.
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“We are working with them on technical issues of developing the league. But, most importantly, they will develop our coaches and players as well as commercial activity.
“The next thing is to get Nigerians to put money into the league because this is our biggest challenge; however, the partnership will also involve marketing.
“Major leagues in the world want to associate with the NPFL and in no distant time, the result will begin to manifest,’’ Dikko said.
In addition, Sports Minister, Dalung in his welcome remarks described the relationship as “a new page in the history of football administration in Nigeria”.
Hr further reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigerian government towards making Nigeria investment friendly by providing the enabling environment for such partnership.
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Tebas, on his part, said the benefits attached to the LMC partnership would depend on the development of the NPFL.
Spain’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Alfonso Barnuevo Sebastián de Erice, in his remark commended the relationship between the LMC and Spanish La Liga as his country is Nigeria’s third best client on the economic front.
“Spain and Nigeria have strong relations which are strategic and our political relationships are based on friendship, trust and good understanding.
“Regarding the economic relations, we are the third best client of Nigeria with 4.5 billion Euros of oil and gas bought by Spain.
“The MoU signed today will make our sports on mutual relations also strategic; La Liga is one of the most important companies in Spain and its presence in Nigeria is very important,’’ de Erice said.
