Everton Football Club And Nagoya Grampus Announce Strategic Partnership

Everton Football Club has announced a new strategic partnership with Nagoya Grampus, one of Japan’s most established and community-driven football institutions.

The partnership builds on a shared relationship with The Friedkin Group, owners of both Everton and AS Roma, and follows the successful alliance that has been in place between Nagoya Grampus and AS Roma since 2022. It marks a significant step in Everton’s international growth strategy and deepens the Club’s ties across Asia.

Underpinned by values around player development, coaching excellence, social responsibility and innovation, the collaboration will span football, community and commercial activities.

The two storied clubs will work together on the development of emerging talent, academy tours, and further joint youth training opportunities. There will also be regular collaboration between coaching and performance staff to share knowledge and expertise across both men’s and women’s football.

Beyond the pitch, the partnership will explore opportunities to deliver positive impact in local communities. Both clubs are committed to working alongside civic institutions, sponsors and grassroots organisations to promote inclusion, sustainability and social value throughout Liverpool and the Nagoya/Aichi area. 

 The agreement also creates a strong platform for future commercial collaboration, enabling both Everton and Nagoya Grampus to explore joint ventures, brand-building initiatives and sponsorship opportunities in Japan, wider Asia and European markets.

Angus Kinnear, Everton’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “It is a true honour for Everton to be entering into a special partnership with Nagoya Grampus. This partnership reflects Everton’s ambition to build purposeful, rewarding and long-term relationships with organisations and clubs who share our values and vision. Nagoya Grampus is an organisation with a deep community focus and a clear commitment to development, and we’re excited about the opportunities this collaboration presents across football, commercial growth and social impact. We look forward to learning from each other and delivering meaningful benefits for both clubs – and our respective communities.”

Founded in 1939 as the company team of Toyota Motor Corporation, the Club joined the J.League in 1993 under the name “Nagoya Grampus” for the league’s inaugural season. In 2009, Nagoya Grampus made its first appearance in the AFC Champions League. Now one of the most recognised Club’s in Asia, Nagoya Grampus have claimed multiple domestic honours, including the J-League title in 2010. 

Nagoya Grampus Chairman, Moritaka Yoshida, said: “We are extremely pleased to have entered into this strategic partnership with Everton, a club with a long history and a strong connection to its community. Everton is actively engaged not only in football but also in sustainability and social contribution activities, values that align with Nagoya Grampus’s vision of becoming ‘the number one club in our town’. Through this partnership, we aim to strengthen player development and team growth with initiatives such as data analytics systems, information exchange in scouting, and various sustainable initiatives, all of which will contribute to the growth of both clubs.”

The Club has a proud history of attracting world-class names, including former Everton and England striker Gary Lineker who famously ended his playing career at Nagoya in the early 1990s. Arsene Wenger, an inductee to the Premier League Hall of Fame, also managed the side from 1995 to 1996, guiding Grampus to an Emperor’s Cup triumph.

Katsuhiro Shimizu, President of Nagoya Grampus, added: “It is a great honour and a privilege to sign a strategic partnership with Everton, following our collaboration with AS Roma. For Nagoya Grampus, which aspires to be ‘a club competing globally and attracting attention from around the world’, this partnership offers an invaluable opportunity to absorb the expertise and know-how of Everton. We aim to strengthen our footballing capabilities and share resources and knowledge to enhance the value of the club on a global scale. Through exchanges with academy players and coaches, knowledge sharing in business and marketing, and collaboration in Japan, Asia, and European markets, we hope to create new value for the club and strive to become a truly community-rooted club, like Everton.”