Norwich City have confirmed they have formed an official partnership with Brazilian side Coritiba.

The Canaries are back in the Championship after another disappointing Premier League campaign that resulted in relegation. And, whilst the immediate focus will be on helping Dean Smith build a team that can win promotion, there have been off-field developments involving the club.

That's after they confirmed today that an agreement has been reached with Coritiba, with Stuart Webber explaining to the Pink'un why it will benefit the club.

"This new and exciting relationship will allow us to further continue our development and reach into new territories. When Brexit was on the horizon, we started a project to increase our knowledge in South America, as we felt the rules would open that market somewhat.

"This exciting project has led us to an official partnership with Coritiba, which will be mutually beneficial for both clubs over the coming weeks, months and years. Mariela Nisotaki and our scouting team in South America deserve a lot of credit for the work done so far."

It's expected that this will see the clubs involved with coaching, player development and potentially transfers with each other.

The verdict

This is an intriguing development from both clubs and it's something that Norwich deserve credit for as it's opening them up to a bigger market.

As Webber says, Brexit had a big impact on what clubs could do in that continent and it's something the Canaries are trying to take advantage of.

Of course, we will be able to judge properly in the future whether it's worked but it's exciting for the fans to see the club try and do more in South America give the talent that is over there.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.