FC St. Pauli

Commercial director Andreas Rettig has great expectations for the cooperation: "We're delighted that a Premier League Club has agreed to cooperate with a German club for the first time. In our many discussions we gained the impression that we see many things similarly in terms of substance and orientation. We expect to achieve added value in football by benefiting from Stoke City's global scouting operations and also in working methods and coach and youth development. Ewald Lienen will take responsibility for breathing life into the partnership here."

Stoke City CEO Tony Scholes also has high hopes for the partnership: "We're always looking at new ways to develop, both in the technical programme in terms of player and coach development and player recruitment and also in off-the-field matters, by looking to share knowledge and expertise with our peers wherever possible. We believe our partnership with St. Pauli will allow us to do both. Like us, St. Pauli are embedded in their local community and there will be things that, inevitably, both clubs do very similarly. However, St. Pauli have a different approach to the business of football that has earned them an exceptional reputation around the world and we’re keen to tap into their knowledge as much as they're keen to tap into ours "

The partnership will also encompass marketing, merchandising and media activities. To mark the launch of the cooperation, the two sides will play a friendly at the Millerntor on Tuesday, 1 August (kick-off 1830 CET). Ticket information will be announced in due course.