New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS): La Liga club RC Celta Vigo has agreed to a significant and innovative commercial partnership with the Maldives, which will help promote the Indian Ocean country as a tourist destination to LaLigas global audience, while strengthening the development of football on the islands.

The sponsorship deal worth around 2.5 million pounds to RC Celta over the next three years was formally signed on Monday, at an event attended by club president Carlos Mouriño, Maldives Minister for Tourism Ali Waheed, and former RC Celta, Real Madrid and Spain player Michel Salgado.

RC Celta's current players including Spain international Iago Aspas and team captain Hugo Mallo will wear the phrase ‘Maldives - the sunny side of life' on the left sleeve of their jerseys while playing all LaLiga and Copa del Rey games - starting with next Saturday's trip to Barcelona to take on Lionel Messi's current LaLiga leaders. The phrase will also be displayed prominently on both the team's bus and around the club's Abanca Balaidos Stadium.

"We are a small country, but we dream big, and we hope that in future our youth can benefit from this big step," Maldives Tourism minister Ali Waheed said at Abanca Balaidos Stadium on Monday.

"This is a historic day for my country - we love football in the Maldives and this agreement will promote tourism and also strengthen football in our country. RC Celta is a club we believe in due to its philosophy and youth policy," he added.

RC Celta are to receive 900,000 US dollars per year during the three year partnership, which will promote the Maldives to viewers of LaLiga games in Europe, India and China, via TV audience and Facebook. The first such agreement between a country and a LaLiga club will see emerging players from the Maldives train at RC Celta's academy at Madroa, while coaches and officials will receive support aimed at developing football in the archipelago.

There will also be friendly games scheduled between RC Celta and the Maldives' national teams.