Chelsea FC to Meet PSG in Clash of Wealth at Yankee Stadium

Yankee Stadium is familiar with hosting high-priced talent. So it should come as no surprise that Yankee Stadium is the venue of choice for the pre-season friendly between big spenders Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea FC.

In what could be deemed the Black Gold Derby, PSG and Chelsea will bring their high priced rosters to the Bronx on July 22 as part of the World Football Challenge.

This will be the first soccer match played at the new Yankee Stadium. The original home to the boys in pinstripes hosted several soccer games during its time. Glasgow Celtic, Santos, and Benfica are just a few of the foreign based clubs who played on the hallowed grounds.

Fittingly, the last soccer game played in the old Yankee Stadium—way back in August of 1976—featured the original free spending club the New York Cosmos, led by Pele.

The matchup between the Premier League’s Chelsea and Ligue 1’s Paris Saint-Germain will be enhanced by the story lines following both clubs this summer.

Both clubs are backed by oil money. Chelsea’s owner Roman Abramovich has been pouring millions of dollars into the London club since 2003 with an eye towards European glory. Chelsea finally realized the dream when they beat Bayern Munich for this year’s Champions League title.

Paris Saint-Germain has been following the Chelsea model since ownership was taken by a Qatari investment group. Like Abramovich, the PSG owners have been putting their financial backing into high priced talent and coaching. The ultimate goal of the group is to be competitive in Europe.

The deep pockets of both clubs pit them against each other for some of the biggest names in the transfer market.

Last summer, PSG swayed Javier Pastore to come to Paris instead of heading to Chelsea. This summer has started with both clubs having interest in the services of several high priced stars.

Lille’s Eden Hazard finalized his deal with Chelsea earlier this week, with reports swirling that Porto’s Hulk is soon to follow. PSG is trying to reel in Ezequiel Lavezzi from Napoli, and is looking to add more star power to their lineup.

With the rumors circulating regarding the players each club is interested in, the match at Yankee Stadium could feature several of the game's top players.

While considered a friendly, there are several underlying stories to the match. New money vs. old money, London vs. Paris, current European champion vs. up-and-coming contender, and Carlo Ancelotti vs. his former employer, among others. These undertones will only add to the buildup of the game.

When the talented squads take to the pitch, there should be plenty of exciting moments during what looks to be an entertaining match for all.