In 2005, Goran Ivanisevic began a roller-coaster ride that resembled his own tennis career when he pledged his support for the British football/soccer team West Bromwich Albion.
The Croatian, who famously reached the first of four Wimbledon finals in 1992 but didn’t win any of them until 2001, has experienced a similar cocktail of angst and ecstasy while wearing the blue and white striped shirt of the team known affectionately as ‘The Baggies’.
Ivanisevic shows his support for West Bromwich Albion
In 2005, WBA survived relegation from the British Premier League on the final day of the season. A year later, they were relegated. In 2007, they missed out on promotion back to the Premier League in the play-off final at the new Wembley stadium. And last season they finished top of the Championship - the second tier of British football - to seal their status back in the Premier League.
In a new video on the BlackRock Tour of Champions website, Goran explains what made him fall for the football club that is based near to Birmingham in the centre of England, what he thinks will happen when WBA take on Premier League giants such as Arsenal (tomorrow), Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, and how he has already learned the trademark WBA ‘Boing’ goal celebration in readiness for the new season. He also shows some football skills with a tennis ball that could earn him a second career.
“Watch out for West Bromwich Albion,” said Ivanisevic.
“With this team it is always dramatic. We go up, we go down, up, down, but since I started supporting, we have now gone up again. We are going to be dangerous this year. We are young, we are good and we can play some football, serious football. I can support any team that has a Croatian player in it - Tottenham have the best midfielder on the market in Luka Modric, Portsmouth have Niko Kranjcar and Arsenal have Eduardo Da Silva. But I can only support these teams when they do not play against West Bromwich Albion. I will support West Bromwich Albion for life.”
To follow the fortunes of WBA with Goran, click here.
