Dutch club NAC Breda were recently happy to announce that their relationship with Manchester City had become more formal. Rather than just sending players on loan to the Netherlands, Manchester City agreed to a more wide ranging, and formal, agreement.
Coaching ideas and methods are being shared and staff at both clubs have the opportunity to learn different ways of doing things, able to be more open than they’d perhaps be without the partnership.
There have of course been some doubters in the Netherlands, but NAC’s technical director Hans Smulders has told Voetbal International that the club isn’t giving up too much: “For us it was obviously a great moment. We had to say goodbye to expensive players, after we had not been promoted, and had to create a new squad.
“We wanted players through our own network and with help from City we looked at the possibilities. We have an agreement for five seasons, which says something. We are not Manchester City 2, which does not suit a club like NAC with its own identity.”
Smulders says he visits Manchester City every four weeks, to speak to people about the club, and get the partnership working for everyone involved.
