English football club Arsenal FC has brought in esports tournament platform Esports Gaming League (EGL) to manage its esports efforts.
The partnership will see the tournament platform manage Arsenal’s Pro Evolution Soccer roster, which will compete in Konami’s eFootball League.
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Glen Elliott, Managing Director of EGL discussed the alliance in a release: “We’re excited to be working with Arsenal FC, embracing esports culture and authentically entering into the space through EGL. We’re looking forward to seeing what this team can do with the assistance EGL will be providing.”
Arsenal will be one of 10 football clubs that will compete in the second season of the eFootball League. Other teams include FC Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Juventus, Barcelona, Schalke 04, AS Monaco, Celtic FC, Boavista FC, and FC Nantes.
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EGL was responsible for building the roster that will compete for the Gunners. Prospective players were scouted, underwent interviews, and signed contracts that will see the players represent the club for the duration of the season.
Christopher Maduro Morais of Portugal, Emiliano Spinelli of Germany, and Alexis Garaud of France will be the first players to represent Arsenal in its first PES campaign. The club also competes in EA Sports and FIFA’s ePremier League.
Esports Insider says: This particular partnership is a good move for Arsenal, given the wealth of experience that EGL has in esports. Depending on the success of the eFootball League, could this mark the beginning of long-term involvement in esports for the Gunners?