When Foxtel lost the rights to show live EPL matches to Optus there were concerns that it would have negative consequences for the A-League when it came to the next broadcast deal.

But speaking at the announcement of the historic new six-year broadcast arrangement with the FFA, Delany said that with the EPL no longer being on Fox Sports it has given the A-League greater exposure.

“I tell you what helps the FFA, the EPL has gone invisible and it almost doesn’t exist anymore,” he said.

“No one can see it, all of my friends don’t talk about it anymore instead they go to a real game that’s physical in Sydney and in Melbourne and around the country.

“So, it does help, this is the time for the A-League to shine.”

Sitting alongside Foxtel CEO Peter Tonagh who negotiated a deal that saw Fox Sports carry 24-hour channels from Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, Delaney reiterated the A-League’s point of difference to the EPL.

“It’s a football league that exists in this country with real players and real teams that you can take your kids to, that you can follow the teams and you can have rivalries,” he said.

“But other leagues that might be in Europe you can’t really watch on television and maybe on delay, this is real and it’s got such momentum.

"We are thrilled to be joining it, I can tell you all of the people that work at Fox Sports just love this with an immense passion and we move forward with a joy on all of this and we couldn’t be happier to be renewing the partnership.”

Delany also said that when it came to the figure of $346 million over six years the FFA got every penny they could out of Foxtel.

“I can tell you David has got every piece of petrol that was in the tank,” he said.

“When we did this deal, we don’t look at it just as fees, we see it as an investment for the future.

“It’s a great investment because this train that I’m very happy to say that we are back on in the first carriage has got huge momentum at the moment.

"Twelve years ago, when this idea first came up to build the A-League we grabbed it with two hands and had a single goal and that goal was to build a league that was of world standard and make a mark in this country and this league has absolutely done it.”