Barcelona and Japanese top-flight club Vissel Kobe have partnered up to share knowledge and learnings, as well as to explore business interests together, reports, www.sportspromedia.com/.

The collaboration for the 2019/20 season, which has an option to extend, will focus on the technical, marketing and commercial sides of the two clubs, with the deal also facilitating each team sending youth players from one to the other to aid development and experience playing in a different country.

Additionally, Barca and Vissel will share reports, including player and team analysis, with the Spanish supporting their Japanese partner in scouting players globally. In return, Vissel will share its knowledge of Asian youth markets with Barca.

The partnership further deepens the ties between both clubs, who recently played each other in a pre-season friendly.

Ecommerce giant Rakuten is both the owner of Vissel and the shirt sponsor of Barca, with the latter's former players, Andres Iniesta, Sergi Samper and David Villa, now playing for the Japanese team. Furthermore, Vissel is tapping into Barca's famous youth academy to help foster the next generation of young talent in Japan.