Bill Belichick meets Luka Modrić and the Croatia team

Luka Modrić, Bill Belichick and Zlatko Dalić (Photo: Drago Sopta/HNS)

Bill Belichick, the most decorated coach in the history of American football with eight Super Bowl titles, was the guest of the Croatian football team today in Rijeka.

After receiving a framed jersey with the number eight and the surname Biličić on the back, as a reminder of his Croatian roots, on the eve of the friendly match between Croatia and North Macedonia, Belichick visited the tea, after lunch and in a pleasant conversation compared some of his greatest successes with those of the Croatian football team.

Belichick won two rings with the New York Giants as an assistant coach, and then led the New England Patriots to six championships as head coach.

After a short video about his career, Belichick was welcomed on behalf of HNS by spokesman, Tomislav Pacak:

“There are a lot of NFL fans among us, but for those who follow football less, today we have with us the greatest coach of American football in history, or perhaps more simply, Guardiola, Ancelotti and Mourinho in one person. It’s nice to see how much you highlight your Croatian roots and it is our privilege to host you here in Rijeka”.

Belichick arrived in Croatia at the invitation of Pete Radovich, another successful Croatian-American who won as many as 45 Emmys as a TV producer. Radovich briefly introduced Belichick and introduced several anecdotes that the famous coach shared with the players:

“When Croatia and Mexico played at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, I bet with the fitness coach of the New England Patriots, who is Mexican, and lost the bet because Croatia lost, so I had to be dressed typically Mexican, with a big sombrero on my head “Three years later, you guys beat Mexico 2:1, so he had to wear a Croatian cap, a Croatian flag, and Luka Modrić’s jersey. It was sweet revenge, ha, ha, ha…” said Belichick yesterday, a citizen of the Republic of Croatia, who regularly emphasised his Croatian origin in his media appearances and wore the Croatian tricolour on his sleeve during some of the most important matches in his career.

“I am proud of my Croatian roots, my grandparents came to the USA in 1910 from Draganić and had a difficult life, but that’s why my father, also an American football coach, managed to live his American dream. Yesterday I became a Croatian citizen, now I’m one of you, regardless of the fact that I don’t speak Croatian. It’s an honour to be in your company, I watched yesterday’s game and you were really fantastic.”

Bill Belichick and Pete Radovich (Photo: Drago Sopta/HNS)

Belichick was able to explain first-hand how the most demanding thing in sports is to consistently achieve valuable results, like the Croatian team, who returned with honours from the last two World Cups.

“We often hear in sports how teams that have reached the very end and failed say that they will return next season, and that is not easy because you have to go through everything again. Equally, of course, it is easier to get to the top than to stay at the top because you become a target and because you set the standard for everyone else and everyone wants to reach your level. For me it’s all about building the team from season to season and getting the right level of form when it’s needed most, in my case during November, December and January. in your case before big contests,” Belichick explained.

Coach Dalić and captain Modrić presented Belichick with a signed jersey and a signed ball, and Belichick responded with signed American football balls.

Modrić and Belichick (Photo: Drago Sopta/HNS)

In a few sentences, he also explained his relationship with the greatest quarterback in NFL history, Tom Brady.

“Tom is an amazing player, very smart, the one who drives the team and builds the success of the team. However, he is in charge of only one segment of the game, because when they play defence and offence separately. So if the team wants to succeed, it has to be good in all segments games.

Tom Brady was a great player in great teams, in the company of other great players,” concluded Belichick, who, after addressing the Vatreni, had a short conversation with captain Luka Modrić, who deserves comparisons with Tom Brady in the Croatian as well as the world. Because of everything he did with Croatia and Real Madrid.

However, there is one difference. Brady said goodbye to active play in the 46th, Luka is still on the big stage. And he’s only 38.