"And there, in amongst them, was a Sydney FC shirt," Barlow recalls. "It was an image I will always remember very clearly, because it says a lot. I don't think there are any other Australian sports clubs that have that. That really demonstrated that we'd caught the attention of the football world." They'd caught the football world's attention because of Alessandro Del Piero, of course. And the only reason he had worn the Sydney FC shirt was because of the Kerry Packer-like punt Barlow and his Russian billionaire father-in-law David Traktovenko had taken on bringing the Italian superstar to the Emerald City in the first place. Sydney FC celebrated a decade of existence with a chic function in the middle of Allianz Stadium on Monday, with a 50-metre long table stretching across the playing surface. FFA chairman Frank Lowy told the assembled guests that no club had done more for the A-League and therefore the game than Sydney FC.

The remark barely surprised, and not just because Lowy was one of the major shareholders when the club was first conceived. The 11 trophies the club has lifted across the A-League, youth and women's leagues in the past decade explain its success. But it's been the marquee signings - from Premier League star Dwight Yorke to Brazilian star Juninho to John Aloisi - who have put the sparkle in Bling FC. We're the club that represents the city of Sydney. We've been doing it for 10 years. Scott Barlow No star, though, has been bigger than Del Piero, who made 48 appearances and scored 24 goals from 2012 to 2014.

What is often forgotten is how much financial risk Barlow and Traktovenko - who have funded the club solely since 2012 - took to secure him. The figure that is commonly reported is $2.5 million a year. It's believed to be closer to $4 million, although Barlow won't talk numbers. "It was a big investment, it was a bold decision, but we were confident it was the right move and it proved to be the case," he says. "In my experience, the biggest deals and potentially the most complex deals turn out to be quite simple and quite quick. It was in that case. Everything seemed aligned. I was on the phone in the middle of the night, trying to work through [Sydney FC chief executive] Tony Pignata - who was in Turin. We were on the phone all night trying to get it to come together. "The timing was right for Alessandro and his career and it was a great opportunity for us as a club. Conversations progressed very quickly and before we knew it, we had signed contracts. And then he was landing here in Sydney." Barlow - whose nine-to-five job is his investment property business - tells you this sitting in the boardroom of his office in the Sydney CBD, with sweeping views of the bridge and the harbour.

The 38-year-old's face might be well known to Sky Blue fans, but for such a prominent player in the Sydney sporting market he remains virtually anonymous, save for the odd shot alongside his wife Alina in the social pages. "I go about my business and try not to make too much of a fuss," he says. "I'm incredibly passionate about the club. I've been involved since day one. I was at the first board meeting in 2004. Over time, our involvement has increased." That involvement might involve sinking millions into the club, but it doesn't happen if a 24-year-old financier doesn't meet a 21-year-old university student from Russia many years ago. "We don't talk about it a lot," he says of meeting Alina, who is Traktovenko's stepdaughter. "We met in Sydney. Alina came here to study at university, and I was working in finance. We met in a bar …" Ask him if it was a similar sliding doors moment to that of Mary Donaldson, the advertising account manager who became the Crown Princess of Denmark, and he is coy.

"A little bit," Barlow says. "We were young when we met. It's a long time ago now. We've got two children now. Her stepfather owned a club in Russia: Zenit FC in St Petersburg. He sold out of that and around that time the A-League was starting to form. "I put forward to David the idea that could be something he might be interested in. We had a few chats as a family to see if this was something we might be interested in. We really realised the potential football had. And that professional club football in Australia was really starting from scratch again. We came on board as one of the inaugural shareholders. Over the 10 years, as the club has required more capital, we've become more involved." Did it take much arm twisting to get the Russian billionaire father-in-law on board? "No, not at all," Barlow says. "He loves football. His daughter was here in Sydney and he travels here regularly. He thought it was an interesting thing to be involved with. On a global comparison, it was relatively cheap." In 2008, Traktovenko and the late Australian businessman Paul Ramsay became majority shareholders.

After Sydney FC failed to reach the play-offs for the first time, they sacked coach John Kosmina and ushered in Czech Republic manager Vitezslav Lavicka. The club won the premiership for the first time, and then defeated Melbourne Victory on penalties in the grand final. In 2012, Traktovenko took majority ownership on his own, with Ramsay and Lowy dramatically scaling back their involvement in the club. Despite this growing influence, Traktovenko remains reclusive. In many respects, he's the anti-Tinkler. When the Russian spoke a few words at Monday's luncheon, it surprised all concerned that he had even taken centre stage, albeit briefly.

"He's incredibly patient, generous and certainly doesn't go out of his way to seek attention," Barlow says. "He really has done great things for this club and football here. "David's like me: football is a massive part of his life. He loves it, and always has. His English isn't great, and my Russian is awful, but we can talk easily when it comes to football." "We go about business the way we do. When it's your passion, it's easy to do and fun to be a part of. We enjoy it, but we're serious about it's potential. We've achieved that partly. But there's still a long way to go. I'm proud how we've turned the business around." While fans will always be critical of what happens on the field, they were at their loudest last season. A banner in The Cove was unfurled at a home game against Adelaide, calling for Barlow and Pignata to be removed. The message was written in English and Russian.

Coach Frank Farina was sacked and changes were made. Now? They are major contenders for the A-League title. Despite this, what's happened off the field cannot be underestimated. Revenue has increased from $5 million to $13 million on Barlow's watch. The club has gone from haemorrhaging $7 million a year to losing $2 million. Average crowd figures now hum along at about 20,000, making the club Allianz Stadium's most important tenant. Membership sits at about 12,500. Barlow is also enthusiastic about the introduction of the club's junior academy, headed by the highly regarded Kelly Cross who was lured from the FFA. "From day one, our club has been pretty ambitious about what we can achieve and what's possible for football," he says. "Every time a big, bold decision has needed to be made, we've made it - when others haven't. We represent Sydney: an iconic city of the world. And we play the world game. Nobody else can say that."