THERE are 20 million reasons why Western Sydney should win the grand final, because that is what their coach gave up to be there.

On the day that Western Sydney seek a first A-League championship at their third attempt, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that Tony Popovic turned down an approach from a Chinese Super League club in January despite being offered almost $20m to leave Western Sydney.

The deal on offer was for three years, to begin immediately, but Popovic declined even to meet with the unnamed club for fear the talks would leak out and derail the Wanderers season.

Tony Popovic celebrates with his players. Picture: Mark Evans Source: News Corp Australia

The 42-year-old has already declined approaches from clubs in Europe, Japan, Korea and China, including the EPL side he captained as a player, Crystal Palace, but none has come close to the level of salary involved in the Chinese deal.

Popovic, whose standing in Asia was sent soaring by winning the Asian Champions League, would have earned $US5m a year for three years ($A19.6m overall), but has made clear that his next job will be governed by the opportunity, not the salary. And his immediate priority is to land the one trophy that has eluded him and the Wanderers, by securing the championship in today’s grand final in Adelaide.

When The Sunday Telegraph asked Popovic about the approach this week, he declined to discuss specific instances — but insisted that his ambition remains absolute, both with Western Sydney and beyond.

“There’s always stories and rumours — some of it’s true, some of it isn’t, some of it’s mixed in between,” he said. “But I believe that coaches are the same as players, if the results are there then there’ll always be talk. That’s something that comes with the territory, and unless I’m changing clubs it doesn’t change what I do day to day.

“It doesn’t affect me what the speculation is. It’s out there and if someone’s talking to someone, it might get in the media. But that doesn’t change what I do when I wake up in terms of trying to keep this club moving forward. My role is to be a leader of that, we have a CEO and owners striving to make the club better, and the sky is the limit.”

It’s fair to ask though, if Western Sydney were to win the title today, what would be left to achieve at Western Sydney when the Premier’s Plate and Asian Champions League have already been won, as well as several teams rebuilt.

“To do it again,” Popovic said. “If we can achieve it on Sunday, then how do we win two consecutive grand finals? How do we go from second to first (on the ladder) and be the best team in the league? There is always something that drives you. If you’ve won everything, what do you have to do to achieve that?

“It’s proven that doing that is never easy to do. That’s a challenge for any club, repeating success, and I hope it’s one we face after Sunday. That’s what I want next year.”

Yet surely no one would begrudge the openly ambitious Popovic looking at opportunities to move up, after evolving a side that has been in the top two three years out of four, as well as enjoyed unprecedented Asian success?

“I’ve never denied I want to challenge myself and be the best I can, wherever it may be,” he said. “But that will happen at the right time. You can never predict in coaching where or when that will happen, it’s not something I’m seeking or searching for. I believe what’s meant to be in my job is meant to be.

“I work for Western Sydney Wanderers, and my job is to be the best I can, challenging every year. My focus is this Sunday, and after that I want the focus to be on how we win the grand final again, and that will start on Monday.”

Tony Popovic is determined to finish what he started at the Wanderers. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: News Corp Australia

What the interest in Popovic demonstrates — as well as the fact that three of the coaches in the A-League’s top six this year came from the Socceroos’ so-called Golden Generation — is the growing stocks of young Australian coaches.

Marrying their extensive European playing experience to an immersive coaching education, the new breed are changing perceptions.

“It’s maybe getting more and more recognised as this generation of coaches is coming through,” Popovic said. “Look at what Ange (Postecoglou) has done, and what he did with Brisbane and now with the Socceroos. There you have someone who has really changed the face of how football was played in the A-League and now has the Socceroos playing a fantastic brand of football.

“We seem to have (in the national team) what we had when I was playing in the Socceroos. When I was playing there was so much competition for places, such a big pool of us that wanted that shirt. We’re back to that again, and that comes from the top.

“I like to think we’re all having an influence at club level, the coaches that are coming through. But you can’t forget those who’ve been around for a long time either — all the success that Ernie Merrick’s had, the way he has changed the way Wellington play, all the experience that Graham Arnold has.

“So it’s not just our generation coming back, but I think on the whole there are a lot of good and knowledgeable people in our game.”