Sporting Clube de Portugal and the New England Revolution (MLS) sign "strategic partnership"

Sporting Clube de Portugal (Primeira Liga, Portuguese first division) and the New England Revolution (MLS, Major League Soccer, North American professional football league) have signed a "multiyear strategic partnership" agreement, the two clubs announced at a press conference in Lisbon (POR) on 01/10/2014.

The partnership's main focus is to promote collaboration on training and development methods for both clubs’ first teams and youth squads, and it will allow New England to add Sporting CP players on loan. The two teams will also share scouting resources and play potential friendly matches at both the first team and youth team levels.

• The New England Revolution are owned by the Kraft Sports Group. The group also owns the New England Patriots (NFL, league of American football), Gillete Stadium (capacity 68,756) in Foxborough (near Boston, Massachusetts) -- where both teams play, and Patriot Place, a $350m (€277m) "lifestyle and entertainment center" around Gillette Stadium.