SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio FC has announced a partnership with German soccer club Sportverein (SV) Darmstadt 98, a team from one of San Antonio’s “sister cities.”
The international partnership, a first for SAFC, is designed to elevate both clubs on and off the pitch, an SAFC news release said.
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Both teams will share academy talent and coaches, enhancing development from different styles.
“The opportunity for San Antonio FC to collaborate with this historic, values-driven club is special, and we are grateful for Darmstadt as a new strategic partner,” said SS&E Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel Bobby Perez.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg and other city partners joined Darmstadt Mayor Hanno Benz on Tuesday for the letter of support signing, according to a news release from SV Darmstadt.
The partnership comes after successful talks between both clubs.
An agreement ahead of its time
San Antonio and Darmstadt renewed a sister city agreement originally created on May 8, 2017, by a San Antonio City Council helmed by then-Mayor Ivy Taylor.
Thus far, the agreement has celebrated a years-long partnership involving political, cultural, educational and social exchanges.
The ongoing agreement could also bring more to San Antonio than just talent on the soccer pitch; Darmstadt is often called a “City of Science” and Europe’s answer to Silicon Valley, a city website said.
And, by car, Darmstadt is roughly an hour from the Frankfurt airport, one of San Antonio’s first transatlantic destinations.
According to SV Darmstadt, the process for landing the partnership with SAFC included visits to the city. One of the visits, from June 26 to July 2, included a trip to the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI).
KSAT contacted SwRI regarding this visit and what it meant for the organization. We have not heard back, but this article will be updated when we receive it.
Both cities have celebrated a years-long partnership that has involved exchanges in the political, cultural, educational and social spheres.
“We look forward to a successful and fruitful collaboration that enriches cultural understanding and expands our expertise,” said SV Darmstadt 98 Managing Director of Marketing & Sales Martin Kowalewski.
Sister Cities is a national initiative created by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 to cultivate global partnerships with cities to share cultural, economic and technical exchanges.
Some of San Antonio’s sister cities include Darmstadt, Germany; Gwangju, South Korea; and Baguio, Philippines.
Founded in May 1898, SV Darmstadt is one of Germany’s oldest active clubs, the SAFC release said.
The team currently competes in the second division of the Bundesliga, Germany’s soccer association.
SV Darmstadt recently played in the Bundesliga’s first division but was relegated at the end of the season.