Spanish link-up a boost for Chippa

IT IS not quite the Spanish Armada, but the arrival of European football giants Atletico Madrid – who have been named in a twinning agreement with local team Chippa United – is surely cause for celebration.

The tie-up, reported by us yesterday, has the potential to propel owner Siviwe Mpengesi’s club into the big leagues.

The announcement follows an outstanding year on the pitch last season for the Chilli Boys, after they stormed to sixth on the final PSL log standings, having brushed aside some of the country’s own “Galácticos” in Chiefs and Pirates.

It immediately brings to mind the partnership between Ajax Amsterdam and Ajax Cape Town. The Mother City team now enjoys a broader profile and has access to greater resources.

The same could fall to Chippa if and when the final agreement is hammered out. As things stand, it looks promising.

Representatives of the La Liga club were full of praise following a visit to Port Elizabeth this week.

They have raised the prospect of significant investment in youth development with the establishment of academies and by sharing expertise.

It is a magnificent coup for Mpengesi and the city, which is striving to locate itself as a centre of sporting excellence. That ambition has often come up short, most notably in the rugby arena.

Moreover, it offers hope to children in the metro who harbour dreams of breaking free from the trammels of poverty.

These are early days, but the commitment appears firm and the intentions sound. And, yes, it means this is a field for Atletico to harvest the stars of the future. Quid pro quo.

But the exchange of ideas, players and resources can only help lift the local football scene to greater heights, at the same time shining a positive light on the city as it bids to grow its status.