Borussia Dortmund and Pittsburgh Steelers start partnership

The clubs plan joint team activities, content and fan engagement initiatives, Dortmund said on Thursday.

The cities share a steel industry past and in football terms the same colours of black and yellow. Dortmund have eight national titles and the Steelers have won the Super Bowl on six occasions.

"We are rooted in history and bonded by tradition," said Marc Lingenhoff, Dortmund's managing director for the North American operations.

“Borussia Dortmund and the Pittsburgh Steelers share more than colors - we share the commitment to bring sports and culture together through the power of our brands."

Dortmund had earlier in the year stepped up their marketing efforts in North America by announcing the opening of its first US office in New York.

Steelers director of business development and strategy, Dan Rooney, said: the partnership "builds off the deep connections both of our teams have with the communities we represent, as well as our shared values, rooted in our industrial pasts, of hard work, determination and a winning spirit.

“We look forward to what’s next as we support each other’s success in reaching fans in new markets and raising the profiles of the cities we call home.”