It’s all about building the brand as Sydney FC prepare to kick off Asian Champions League campaign
FOR years it has been a financial blackhole for A-League clubs, but Sydney FC believe the Asian Champions League could help to drive growth in Australia as well as overseas.
Asian Cup
Don't miss out on the headlines from Asian Cup. Followed categories will be added to My News.
FOR years it has been a financial blackhole for A-League clubs, but Sydney FC believe the Asian Champions League could help to drive growth in Australia as well as overseas.
The Sky Blues kick off their best-resourced ACL campaign so far at home to Suwon Bluewings on Wednesday night, with the prospect of improved prize money on offer for teams that qualify from their group for the knock out stages.
While taking part in the ACL remains an expensive exercise, with the home team in each tie having to provide five-star hotels, meals and training facilities for the opposition, Sydney CEO Danny Townsend believes the club can reap long-term benefits on its own doorstep.
SLATER: Don’t expect Bert to return to Australia
REPORT: Sky Blues to slick for Melbourne City
“Last time we played in the ACL we actually made a small profit, but beyond the finances of playing in it this season I can see it having the ability to influence seasons going forward,” he said.
“It gives us, for instance, the chance to drive interest in Sydney FC among Asian communities, and one of the key areas that the board has stressed to me is that Sydney FC has a unique brand.
“We’re aligned to the city, itself the most marketable in Australia, and we can use that – you can see that in the sponsorship deal we struck with Atos for this campaign.”
Prize money has increased substantially: though each individual game from the group stages to the semifinal still attracts a win bonus of US$50,000, the “participation fees” for reaching each knock out stage have increased by 20-25%, with the winners’ kitty climbing from US$3m to US$4m.
Selling the competition to would-be fans remains a struggle, with crowds often meagre and the competition structure not designed to maximise exposure.
But Townsend said having Shanghai Shenhua come to Sydney, even without striker Carlos Tevez who quit the Chinese club just before Christmas, offered significant opportunities.
“One of the challenges is the point at which we get notification of our opponents; knowing only two weeks before that we’d be playing Suwon means that will be a challenging game,” he said.
“But playing Shanghai Shenhua is a big opportunity to drive a big crowd, and we’re working hard in the Chinese communities to push that game.
“There’s a huge Asian community in Sydney obviously, one that in many ways is trying to assimilate, and sport is a tremendous vehicle for that. There’s a chance we can convert some of those supporters to come to the Shenhua game into regular attendees.
“We’re also working with Destination NSW on representing Sydney on a regional basis – it all helps to build the club’s brand.”