On the other side of the world, funded by the seemingly endless petrodollars of a Middle East sheikh, the contrast to Australia's sporting landscape could not be more stark.
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A, if not the, rising power of international football - or the root of all evil, inflating transfer prices and ruining the game depending on who you cheer for - opened a $380 million, 32-hectare academy to nurture the next generation of superstars.
It's just a fraction of Sheikh Mansour's $2.19 billion investment in the Manchester City empire, which has now spread to New York, Yokohama and Melbourne.
Meanwhile, the argument rages over public funding to develop the cavernous ANZ Stadium with a space-age roof, or upgrade some of the smaller stadiums like Parramatta's Pirtek Stadium, which is bursting at the seams under the weight of the Western Sydney Wanderers bandwagon.
The almost unbelievable wealth of an English Premier League powerhouse like Manchester City would hardly be relevant to the Illawarra, except for the Sky Blues' parlous state little more than a decade ago.
Yes, for a self-indulgent moment, this humble scribe often spends his sleep-deprived spare time as a fan, watching the increasingly regular highs City's new breed of highly-paid stars offer.
The personal commitment extends to attending the upcoming New Year's Day game against Sunderland at the Etihad.
But it was not so long ago supporters held Paul Dickov's last-gasp Wembley play-off goal to help City escape third-tier League One as the fondest moment of their generation.
Now Sergio Aguero scores for fun, as they say, when not bothered to elaborate further on his man-crushing brilliance.
In Wollongong, the moves continue behind the scenes to be part of an A-League expansion club, possibly as soon as 2017.
New Cronulla Sharks boss Lyall Gorman - the former Wanderers supremo - revealed in Fairfax newspapers this week the NRL club would be in a position to own the next football club in Australia.
For some months, Football South Coast chairman Eddy de Gabriele, daring to dream as many squabble over chook feed, has spoken about the prospect of joining forces with a Sydney-backed conglomerate.
Now the colours are nailed to the mast, the region will push on under the Sharks umbrella and anchored by the cash which comes from Cronulla's new property development, which in the first instance has staved off discussion of NRL relocation to Perth.
And there's some underlying power games yet to be played about the extent of South Coast's involvement in the A-League.
Watch this space.
But, with South Coast expected to unveil stand-alone W-League and National Youth League outfits as early as next year, there are also some significant ongoing concerns.
The Wolves should be applauded for carrying the financial strain to keep playing at WIN Stadium, but their training situation is a grim reflection on the region.
One former Wolves type recently told me "how the hell can they compete in the NSW Premier League, let alone be part of the A-League pathway, if they're on soaking wet grounds using training poles for goals during the week."
After the West Dapto Home of Political Football collapsed at the last federal election, now state government cash is also not forthcoming.
Wollongong City Council allocated $200,000 towards lighting for Ian McLennan Park at Kembla Grange, only to be informed by Football South Coast that the state government was not coming to the party.
This farcical search for a permanent training ground has continued ever since the Wolves were marched out of Brandon Park.
Not only is there an inability to formulate a strategic plan, the region can't even secure the funding for an all-weather synthetic pitch like South Coast rivals Manly and Sutherland already use.
Manchester City's rise may be the stuff of fantasy for Australian sporting teams, but remember in 2001 the Wolves were living their own dream in Spain, playing in the Club World Cup, the same competition the Wanderers are preparing to play in on Sunday.