#3 FC Midtjylland- Dempo SC
While the hopes of players from Indian clubs playing in their partner European club looked preposterous in all the previous occasions, Dempo's association with FC Midtjylland in 2011 did kindle the hope that it would be possible.
After all, the Danish club used Nantes' model of recruiting players into the senior squad- partnering with academies all across the globe and then signing players from within. Moreover, Dempo owned 34% stake in FC Midtjylland.
FC Midtjylland gave their commitment to provide technical knowhow, knowledge of marketing and administration as well as strong focus on youth development to raise the level of Dempo in Asia. Having won four I-League titles previously, reached the semi-finals of the AFC Cup, and contributing a plethora of players into the national team, the club got relegated from the top-tier of Indian football in 2015.
Dempo SC chairman Srinivas Dempo revealed that he had sold all of his stakes in FC Midtjylland in 2014.