Big European clubs heading to Australian shores is nothing new. It's been happening for decades but the past five years has seen a multitude of tours.
Football United tour of NZ
Popular English clubs Newcastle United and West Ham United travelled to New Zealand for a series of exhibition games against Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC in July 2014. Winston Reid’s West Ham lost both games against A-League opposition.
Juve edge All-Stars
The All-Stars concept got a second and final whirl in 2014, with just over 55,000 fans turning out at ANZ Stadium for a 3-2 Juve win, with Alessandro Del Piero turning out against this former club. Paul Pogba was among the scorers.
Spurs & Blues face Sky Blues
Sydney FC took on Tottenham and Chelsea within a few days at ANZ Stadium in May-June 2015. Both games ended 1-0 to the English opposition, with Harry Kane scoring in front of 71,549 fans. Loic Remy got the winner for Chelsea in front of 83,598 supporters, a figure which beat the 2013 Manchester United-All Stars attendance.
Spanish armada sails in
La Liga club Villarreal took on A-League champions Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United in May-June 2015. Less than 9,000 fans were at Suncorp Stadium, with Devante Clut putting on the best show with two goals in a 3-0 win for the hosts. Villarreal won 3-2 in Adelaide.
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