Yokohama F. Marinos and Suphanburi FC announce partnership

A week after defeating Manchester United in front of a home crowd, the J-League co-founders followed Vissel Kobe and Cerezo Osaka in formalising ties with a Thai club

Japan's Yokohama F. Marinos on Tuesday have formed a partnership with Suphanburi FC of the Thai Premier League (TPL), the two clubs announced in a joint statement on Monday.



The J-League co-founders are the latest Japanese club to set up formal links with Thai teams as the league looks to capture a piece of the booming football market in Southeast Asia. The J-League and Thai Premier League are in the second year of a strategic agreement signed in Bangkok in 2012.



The Marinos-Suphanburi deal opens the way for not only the exchange of club personnel and team management knowledge, but also interactions between the two clubs' sponsors in both Thailand and Japan.



"Suphanburi FC are proud to be associated with Yokohama F. Marinos today," club president Varawut Silpa-archa said after the signing ceremony, which took place in Japan.



"This synergy will propel both teams to achieve our greatest potentials.



"We can learn so much from one another in many aspects, and Suphanburi is greatly honoured by the hospitality extended to us today."



The announcement comes as both clubs are enjoying success in their domestic campaigns; Marinos are in third place as the J-League prepares to begin the second half of its 20th season, while Suphanburi are fourth after 19 rounds of the TPL season.



"We felt that we could apply our knowledge of building a successful youth system to Suphanburi," said Marinos president Akira Kaetsu when explaining the reasons for the partnership.



"We hope that this partnership will benefit not only our clubs, but the development of Asian football as a whole."