Despite being forced out of the club, isolated from the team and later labelling former coach Tony Popovic a "bully", former Western Sydney playmaker Vitor Saba convinced Spanish defender Raul Llorente to move to the A-League and join the Wanderers.
The Brazilian attacking midfielder left the Wanderers in January 2015 after a bitter fallout with Popovic and the club, parting ways just six months into a two-year deal. Saba lashed-out at the training methods and treatment of players and was famously one of four players separated from the rest of the squad and forced to train on their own until they accepted releases. At the time, the club criticised Saba's application at training.
However, his anger hasn't lingered or clouded his view of the club as Saba recommended Llorente accept a contract from the Wanderers. The two were teammates at Greek club Kalloni during the 2015-16 season and when the 31-year-old Spanish left back began talks with the Wanderers, the first person he spoke with was Saba.
"When they give me an opportunity to come here, I spoke with Vitor Saba who I played with before," Llorente said. "He told me it's a big team in Australia, new project, new country and it was excellent for me and my family. Maybe a few years ago he was angry, but when I spoke to him this [European] summer, he spoke well about the life in Sydney."
In spite of his ugly departure from the Western Sydney, Saba had only positive reviews of the club when asked by Llorente.
"He spoke very well about the Wanderers, he told me that it was a big team. He won the Champions League here with the Wanderers. He spoke to me about the people, the fans, about Sydney and the stadium. Vitor told me to come here," Llorente said.
The search for financial stability brought Llorente to Australia after a career in the Spanish second division and the Greek Super League was fraught with constant uncertainty of payments. The birth of his son during the last transfer window heightened the need for more security and he couldn't turn down a move to a country that offered that as well as a surprisingly high standard of football and a well-supported club.
"Last season I was very happy, the life in Greece was excellent, the competition was good but they have economic problems right now in Greece. I have a son who is five months old and I don't want to be thinking every month wondering if they are going to pay me," Llorente said. "He [Saba] told me the Wanderers pay every month, they don't have an economic problem."
Llorente has since become a regular in defence for the Wanderers as a left back but says the adjustment was initially difficult. He describes the Australian players as "animals" in respect of their high work rate and physical strength, while the start of the hot weather has taken its toll.
But the arrival of new coach and compatriot Josep Gombau has given him some comfort with a style of football to which he's accustomed. The high wingers and 4-3-3 system is akin to his former clubs in Greece and Spain, so too their possession-based philosophy. The Wanderers will be looking to starve Adelaide of the ball on Sunday afternoon at Coopers Stadium with a more patient game to wear them down after their FFA Cup final midweek.
"We have to keep the ball, wait for the right moments and make Adelaide run looking for the ball the whole time," he said. "We will try to keep the ball and then wait for our opponents to get tired, then we will have our opportunities."
