Some Golden Soft Sombrero Moments with Ivan Zelic Zelic on Adelaide Force… Diegos: " In the off season you moved from the heart of the NSL galaxy, the Canberra Cosmos to the venue of the next Star Wars extravaganza - the Adelaide Force. How have you coped with the change and are you sick of people passing you in the street and saying 'May the Force be with you'?" Zelic: " I've coped well. I'm very happy with the way I have settled in to the club. There hasn't been a huge difference between the two clubs, which is good. The players at Adelaide have been great helping me find my way around. With such a friendly group of people its not so hard to settle in." Soft Sombrero Moment 1999
Diegos: " Playing for the Canberra Cosmos last season must have been like playing for the Washington Generals against the Harlem Globetrotters. A record 16 losses in succession is a statistic that would conjure up nightmares for most players. What has it been like crossing from a team with a losing record to a team that is used to winning?" Zelic: " Mentally it has made a huge difference. When you are with a club that is having a losing streak, you get into a losing frame of mind. The one good thing that came from that experience was that it made me a stronger person. I think that having been through something like that prepares me for the worse at my new club. I now have the determination to never let that happen again whilst I'm at Adelaide." Soft Sombrero Moment 1999
Diegos: "You have described Adelaide Force's legendary coach, Zoran Matic as a type of father figure for the players. What sort of a Dad is he? A 'lovey dovey, fairy floss at Luna Park' type Dad or a 'you played badly, go to your room' type Dad?" Soft Sombrero Moment 1999
Diegos: " Many younger siblings have had to go through life in the shadow of their more high profile older brothers or sisters. Danni Minogue coped with her sister, Kylie's fame by getting breast implants, a new nose and a bottle of hair rinse. How have you coped with people continuously referring to you as Ned Zelic's younger brother?" Zelic: " Well the biggest hurdle was to get Zoran Matic to stop calling me Ned. I've heard people say that the only reason I'm at the club, is because of my surname. I think that comments like that are bit unfair. I'm a completely different person to my brother and in fact the only common thread is that we both play soccer. I've also tried to expose my name in different areas such as modeling so that people can make the distinction." Soft Sombrero Moment 1999
Diegos: " How many times has your mum and dad made you sit in front of the TV with the rest of the family to watch THAT goal (Ned's goal that clinched qualification for Australia at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics)? Zelic: " I'm the one that makes them watch it over and over again. That was a very special moment for our family. No one can deny that it was a fantastic goal. The whole family stayed up to watch the game. I think the neighbors thought we had won tattslotto with all the yelling and screaming. The only disappointing thing was that Mum made me go to school the next day." Soft Sombrero Moment 1999
Diegos: " In this day and age of full time professional soccer most players don't have time for anything else. Not so yourself. It seems that you are forging a quite lucrative career in modeling. What's it like getting undressed in a change room that smells more like rose petals and perfume rather than one that is infested with tinea and smells of foul body odor?" Zelic: " The biggest difference apart from the odor is the sight. There obviously aren't as many hairy backs in the model's change room. But the better smell is a welcome relief." Soft Sombrero Moment 1999 |