Chelsea in Sydney: David v Goliath when Blues take on Sydney FC’s Sky Blues

IT will be a case of David versus Goliath when the multi-millionaire superstars of Chelsea take on the relative minnows of Sydney FC at ANZ Stadium tonight.

Chelsea Training Session

IT will be a case of David versus Goliath when the multi-millionaire superstars of Chelsea take on the relative minnows of Sydney FC at ANZ Stadium on Tuesday night.

The English champions have just celebrated winning a fourth Premier League crown, with superstar coach Jose Mourinho adding to his legend.

Now Chelsea are in Sydney preparing to do battle tonight with a team that earns less than 2 per cent of their annual salary bill.

Sydney FC are taking on EPL opponents for the second time in 72 hours, after a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham last Saturday, in a contest that on a financial level could scarcely be more unequal.

Funded by the seemingly limitless wealth of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and led by charismatic and controversial coach Jose Mourinho, Chelsea in 2013-14 paid out a whopping $380.8 million.

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Sydney last season paid out just $2.55 million on the salary cap plus $2 million to marquee strikers Marc Janko, who has since left the club, and Alex Brosque.

It’s no wonder then that Chelsea chartered their own plane to Sydney, nor that they are staying at the up-market Park Hyatt hotel at Circular Quay.

Chelsea captain John Terry at the club’s training session at ANZ Stadium on Monday night.

Their players are used to getting the best, and Chelsea are happy to pay for it — and for them.

EPL Player of the Year Eden Hazard gets almost $21 million a year and the club’s next two highest earners, Spaniards Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas, aren’t far behind.

Nor is Mourinho, 52, the self-dubbed Special One whose annual salary of $20 million makes him the highest paid soccer coach in the world. If that seems obscene then his record of eight league titles in four countries and two European Champions League victories marks him out as undeniably special.

Sydney FC can’t compete — their top earner is Brosque, who takes home $500,000. Even so, the Sky Blues do hold one advantage over tonight’s opponents — a bigger home ground. Allianz Stadium has a capacity of 45,500 while Stamford Bridge holds 41,837. However, Chelsea do sell out most of their 19 regular-season home games.

Tuesday night’s game at ANZ is expected to attract a post-Olympic record crowd, with some 84,000 expected.

For all the trappings of success there were things that united the high-earners with the backpackers milling around Circular Quay yards from the Park Hyatt on Monday.

Chelsea's Eden Hazard (l) and Branislav Ivanovic at their training session on Monday night.

After the club laid down its requirements while in Sydney — including food, hotel space and training facilities — Mourinho’s only request was the chance to tour the Harbour on a boat.

Luckily for him, the overcast skies of their arrival on Sunday had lifted to give him a picture perfect blue backdrop, while his players scattered to see what they could of Sydney.

Sydney FC players at their Macquarie Uni training ground.

By tonight Mourinho’s focus will be back on the game. He has spoken respectfully about facing Sydney but also gave an insight into why he is so successful — and why Tuesday night’s result matters as well.

“Enjoying football is winning, and this is what I want to do for the rest of my career. That is why I am in the game,” he said.

Originally published as Chelsea in Sydney: David v Goliath when Blues take on Sydney FC’s Sky Blues