THE "big three" of Alessandro Del Piero, Emile Heskey and Shinji Ono are all on track to play this weekend in a sensational opening round of the A-League, which will now be broadcast in Europe.

In a landmark deal for the competition, the FFA has secured a deal to broadcast all of Sydney FC's games in Italy live and on replay on the network founded by ex-Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The Mediaset company will show the games on pay television arm Premium Calcio due to the huge demand from locals to see Del Piero.

It is the first time any A-League team will be showcased in full in Europe, and the deal covers all finals even if Sydney FC do not qualify.

An FFA source has confirmed the deal to The Daily Telegraph and an announcement will be made in the coming days. There are also rumours the league could secure broadcast rights in Japan given the signing by Western Sydney Wanderers of Ono who lands in Sydney this morning.

A few weeks ago it would have seemed an impossible dream that a trio of this calibre would be gracing the fields of Australia and New Zealand's domestic competition but their signings have created the biggest buzz in the league's history.

media_camera THE "big three" of Alessandro Del Piero, Emile Heskey and Shinji Ono are all on track to play this weekend.

The marketability of the tournament is at an all-time high and while it's understood the Italian television deal will not yield massive revenue, the flow-on effects for the game could be enormous.

Italy's top players will now be able to watch the A-League and if Del Piero's stint is successful, other clubs will have a much greater chance of securing more elite talent.

While all Sydney FC players had the weekend off, and Del Piero enjoyed yesterday's NRL grand final at ANZ Stadium, it is almost certain he will play some part in Saturday's match in Wellington against the Phoenix.

Del Piero pulled up well from last week's intra-club match during which he set up two goals and got through 70 minutes and merely needs to get through training this week to be chosen.

Depending on how he is managing his jet-lag, and accounting for the three-hour flight to Wellington, a decision will be made on whether the striker will start or come off the bench.

Heskey will also be managed carefully after his marathon journey from England late last week, and Newcastle Jets coach Gary von Egmond has already suggested he could use him off the bench against Adelaide if necessary.

Ono has been active recently and with the shorter flight from Japan to boot, he is expected to feature heavily in the Wanderers' debut match in the A-League against Central Coast at Parramatta Stadium on Saturday.

Originally published as Sydney's Euro vision