As an alternative of teaching a workforce by way of the NFL’s offseason program, Invoice Belichick has been touring in his first season away from the sideline in 50 years.
Belichick’s newest journey took him abroad to a spot the place he has a particular connection. The previous New England Patriots head coach visited Croatia earlier this week, taking a pair of necessary conferences as he formally grew to become a citizen of the nation.
First, Belichick met with Croatian prime minister Andrej Plenković and president Zoran Milanović. They offered Belichick, who’s of Croatian descent, with a certificates of nationality. He additionally obtained the Order of the Croatian Star, which featured the effigy of Franjo Bučar.
Belichick then hit the opposite soccer subject, attending the Croatian males’s nationwide soccer workforce’s match towards North Macedonia in its penultimate pleasant forward of the 2024 Euros on Monday. Following Croatia’s 3-0 win, Belichick spoke with the workforce.
“My grandparents got here to the USA in 1910 from Draganić and had a tough life, however that is why my father [Steve], additionally an American soccer coach, managed to stay his American dream,” Belichick mentioned, in keeping with a Croatian newspaper Večernji. “Yesterday, I grew to become a Croatian citizen. Now I am one in every of you.”
In his closing seasons with the Patriots, Belichick confirmed his pleasure in his Croatian heritage. He typically wore a Croatian pin on his gameday apparel because the league allowed gamers and coaches to have fun their heritages starting in 2022.
“I am happy with my Croatian heritage, and I am proud to put on it,” Belichick instructed reporters that season. “I am not in Croatia. I am not a citizen, however it’s a heritage that’s half of my household. My mother was English. My dad was Croatian.
“So, for different Croatians, Coach [Nick] Saban, Coach [Pete] Carroll, and others of us which have that little bond, happy with it and glad to have the chance to put on it. And I’ve heard from some individuals throughout the ocean that they respect it and respect the popularity as effectively. Go, Croatia!”
Belichick has additionally been a famous fan of the Croatian males’s nationwide soccer workforce. He was so glued to the TV throughout Croatia’s upset win over Brazil within the quarterfinal of the 2022 World Cup that he was the final individual to reach on the subject for a Patriots apply. He was additionally passionately watching Croatia’s matches within the 2018 World Cup, when it made a run to the ultimate.
“I watched them and rooted exhausting for our workforce,” Belichick mentioned by way of Croatia Week. “I put on the jersey when the sport is on TV for just a little further assist, so I’m very happy with the soccer workforce, of the handball workforce, the water polo workforce, and positively nice basketball gamers which have come out of there. I’ll see if we are able to discover a couple [American] soccer gamers from Croatia, as a result of I do know there are some huge, athletic children there.
“I’m happy with my heritage, it’s one thing that may all the time resonate with me and I nonetheless keep involved with my cousins and members of the family and kinfolk from Croatia. I’m very happy with it.”
Belichick, who has visited a number of school lacrosse groups, Washington’s soccer workforce (the place his son, Steve, coaches) and Nebraska’s soccer workforce up to now this offseason, can be in Croatia to be a particular visitor for the Sundown Sports activities Media Competition, which might be held from June 6-8.
Shortly after, the Croatian squad will start group play with its first match within the 2024 Euros. That might be towards Spain in Group B on Saturday, June 15 (midday ET on FOX and the FOX Sports activities app).
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