Patriots, German Soccer Team Making 'Trade'

The New England Patriots and the German national football team will use each other facilities while training for respective business trips.

The New England Patriots have landed quite the vacation home for their visit to Europe this fall. 

Two brands of football will unite through a deal announced by the Patriots on Wednesday: when New England faces the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt on Nov. 12, they'll spend the week preparing at the German Football Assoociation's campus, the training facility of the lauded German national football team. 

The Patriots' occupation will come weeks after that same German soccer group takes over the Gillette Stadium practice fields, which also host the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. Germany is set to take on the United States in an international friendly at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford on Oct. 14.

"We are proud to partner with one of the NFL's most successful franchises, Dr. Holger Blask, managing director of the German Football Association, said in a statement. "The New England Patriots have dominated their sport over the past two decades and have contributed to the global growth in the popularity of American football. We look forward to traveling to the United States in October and using the Foxborough training facility to prepare for our match in New England."

"While there, we will continue to collaborate with the Kraft family and the New England Patriots, as we stand to benefit greatly from the experiences of a global franchise, both on and off the field."

Having been awarded Germany as an International Home Marketing Area by the NFL in January 2022, the Patriots have wasted no time in leaving their mark. The visit to Frankfurt will be a culmination of those efforts, as the Patriots will partake in the latter half of an NFL doubleheader staged at Frankfurt's Deutsche Bank Park (commonly referred to as Waldstadion) after Kansas City and Miami break the turf in the week prior.

The Patriots have more in with "Die Mannschaft" (German for "The Team") than one would assume at first glance, as both sides are used to lifting the most-sought after prize in their respective grandest stages. New England is tied with Pittsburgh for the most Super Bowls at six while no other squad has appeared in more World Cup semifinals than Germany (13), which is tied with Italy for the second-most titles at four behind Brazil.

"We know how popular the Patriots are in Germany and can't wait to travel to Frankfurt this fall to play before so many passionate fans,"  Jo Dorant, senior director of sales operations for Kraft Sports & Entertainment said in the same statement. "We are looking for strategic partners to help build stronger business relationships to help us reach new audiences. With (the German Football Association's) proven success, both domestically and globally, they are the perfect partner to do so."

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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