Sydney FC ready to face down history in pursuit of record-equalling consecutive A-League titles

Defending A-League champions Sydney FC have significantly strengthened their squad and defender Rhyan Grant doesn’t see why they can’t go back-to-back.

Sydney FC football players (l-r) Rhyan Grant, Angelique Hristodoulou and Alex Baumjohann model their new playing kits on Wednesday. Picture: Brett Costello

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History is against them retaining their A-League crown, but Sydney FC’s “freakish” revamped squad can rewrite the record books, according to fullback Rhyan Grant.

As the Sky Blues unveiled the kit in which their title defence will be played, Grant revealed that Sydney boss Steve Corica had underlined the size of the challenge ahead of them in retaining the championship won in May.

Only once has a team won back-to-back championships — Brisbane Roar under Ange Postecoglou — and only Sydney themselves have won consecutive Premiers Plates, under previous coach Graham Arnold.

Sydney FC football players (l-r) Rhyan Grant, Angelique Hristodoulou and Alex Baumjohann model their new playing kits on Wednesday. Picture: Brett Costello

But buoyed by signings including Kosta Barbarouses from Melbourne Victory and Alex Baumjohann from Western Sydney, Grant detailed why the Sky Blues can be confident of emulating Brisbane’s unique achievement.

“The last three or four years we've been blessed with really good squads and a really good culture from all the boys who've come in,” he said.

“But I just feel this year the players who've come in have been freakish — Kosta was unbelievable at Victory the last couple of years, Alex has already shown what he can do at the Wanderers — and getting him from our biggest rivals always ruffles a few feathers. “They've come into the team really well and you can see straightaway what they add to the squad.

Sydney FC snapped up striker Kosta Barbarouses from Melbourne Victory. Picture: AAP

“Then you've got players like 'Gowser' (defender Ryan McGowan) who's done a lot in his career too and is playing in the A-League for the first time.

“The culture hasn't changed and the new boys are a big part of that.”

Sydney’s new kit will be worn for the first time next week against French giants PSG in China, before the Sky Blues begin their FFA Cup campaign a week later at home to Robbie Fowler’s Brisbane Roar.

Ryan McGowan will add steel to the Sky Blues defence. Picture: Jaime Castaneda

But Corica has already sketched out to the squad his plans for the A-League campaign beyond all that, and how he intends to build on winning the title in his first season as head coach.

“History shows it's not easy to win the title year on year, it's really tough to go back to back, but one of the things Sydney FC likes to do is break records,” said Grant.

“To do something that has hardly been done before is a big aim for us this year. When you've won the league you have a big title on your back and teams want to beat you. We know that process, and we can try to approach it in a different way this year.

“It's a strange one that it's so uncommon to go back to back, but already it's something that Bimbi (Corica) has spoken to doing this year. We set goals and have big ambitions — that's the biggest.”

Originally published as Sydney FC ready to face down history in pursuit of record-equalling consecutive A-League titles