Some Golden Soft Sombrero Moments with Ned Zelic Zelic on pulling the pin on the Socceroos… Diegos: " Your self - imposed exile from the national team continues to be a major talking point 'Downunder'. Many people from fans to officials, players and coaches have all tried to change your mind but to no avail. In one last effort apparently there's a bikini clad convoy of Kylie Minogue, Elle McPherson and The Four Diegos on their way to your home in Germany as we speak for one last crack at changing your mind. What we want to know is will the Diegos in bikinis be enough to convince you to pull the Green and Gold on again?" Zelic: "Most definitely even though I think the bikinis might be quite tight on you guys. More importantly if you get Elle McPherson over here I'll definitely think about coming back." Diegos: "Since your decision not to play for Australia, have you been surprised by the reaction of Australian soccer followers, many of which believe that the Socceroos are potentially great side without you, but a team with boundless possibilities with you? By the way Grandma Diego wants to know whether you've received her letter of persuasion? It's x-rated but heart-felt just the same. Zelic: "I've been very surprised by the reaction of people. A lot of fans have been sending mail to my club basically saying how disappointed they are with my decision and asking whether I'd be prepared to think about changing my mind. I've been very flattered by that reaction. It's definitely got me thinking about making a comeback. I don't know. I think too many things have happened or happened back then in that camp. I'm still in that state of mind where I don't have a good feeling about coming back. I feel very comfortable the way I am at the moment. The support I have from people in Australia is nice to hear and to still get such a positive reaction from the fans does make me very happy. For me to come back I have to feel 100% sure and comfortable about it. I had Tony Labbozetta and Les Scienflug over here last November trying to convince to come back and have a talk to Frank. I've got to admit that after their visit it got me thinking hard but if I'm not going to come back 100 % sure then there's no point of doing it at all." Diegos: "The Diegos are very curious; what was Les Scienflug's strategy? Did he get off the plane and take you straight to the 'Hofbrauhaus' for some good old fashion Bavarian piano accordion band sing longs and steins of lager to get you to change your mind? Zelic: "It was ten beers, followed by ten Johnny Walkers to try and convince me. He then put a pen in my hand so that I could put in writing my intention to come back but it didn't work." Soft Sombrero Moment 2001
Diegos: "Ned we may not be able to convince you to come back and play with the Socceroos but the Diegos have got an indoor soccer team that needs an extra player. Are you prepared to come back for that? It will only cost you seven bucks a game." Zelic: "That sounds very interesting and very tempting." Diegos: "We're at the bottom of the ladder of Monday night Grade F competition, at the moment…" Zelic: " So there's a danger of relegation? Well in that case on Monday nights I'm busy." Diegos: "Hypothetically speaking if you don't have a change of heart and Australia do make it to the World cup in 2002, what will your plans be?
Zelic: "I really don't know what my plans will be. I know that there are people thinking that I'm sitting in Germany hoping that the team loses. It's exactly the opposite. Having said that though, I've been surprised at how easily I've forgotten about the national team. To put it bluntly I do not think about the national team at all these days. I really wish the team all the best. I think they have a good side and have a good opportunity of making it to the World cup. I also think it's a team that functions well even without me."
Diegos: "It doesn't happen a lot but the prospect of getting Australia's best possible team together is an exciting one and certainly puts a snap in the short of the Diegos. Viduka, Kewell, Okon, Tiatto, Lazaridis, Schwarzer, Bosnich and dare we say, Zelic are in great form at the moment and provide a world-class nucleus of possibly our best ever team. Putting all problems aside for the moment, do you ever think about how great this team could be?" Zelic: "Obviously there are some very big names. There definitely won't be a problem getting passed the first couple of stages in qualification. The New Zealand games are always hotly contested but I'm pretty sure that Australia will come through as they've done in the past. The South American phase will be a lottery. You could be looking at a Colombia or a Paraguay. Some of these teams have really got some world-class players. I think with the experience that Australia has gained in the last couple of years together with guys like Viduka and Kewell doing really well, anything is possible."
Diegos: "Your 1860 Munich Aussie teammate Paul Agostino could not stop scoring goals at the start of the season.
Unfortunately injury has hampered his performances more recently. How healthy is Paul at present and how far is he from his goal scoring best?" Zelic: "Currently he is not too confident of finishing off the season. He is still having problems with injury. So it doesn't look good for him. He is coming out and training everyday and hoping that the pain that he has been getting will go away but it doesn't seem to be improving, so it looks like he may have to go under the knife before the season's over."
Diegos: "Now for the Diegos' cultural question: Germany - pretzels, sauerkraut, big strong beer for big strong men and scary German women; do you like living there?" Zelic: "You guys have really done your homework! I feel very comfortable living here. I'm the sort of guy who's been around quite a lot and had a few clubs in Europe so I've been a bit of a gypsy. It's got to the stage were I'm not trying to settle in too much because you never know what's around the corner in this game. Obviously we've been here quite a while now so it would be difficult to leave. Sport comes before everything else in my life though. My love for a city can't dictate where I play my football. At the moment I'm happy here but you never know what might come up next. The one thing I miss about Australia is the big houses with huge backyards, the tomato patches and all the rest. I miss that sort of stuff. I have an first floor apartment here in Germany so I don't have a backyard which is a real downer."
Diegos: " Well Ned, welcome to the Four Diegos version of 'This is your Life, Ned Zelic'. Your first club, on your meteoric rise to stardom outside Australia, was German club, Borussia Dortmund. You established yourself there as a star of the future before you moved on to a forgettable time, in England with Queens Park Rangers and in France, with Auxerre. You're now back in Germany playing well with TSV 1860 Munich. It seems that throughout your career you have been able to consistently perform at a high level in Germany but not been able to reproduce the same form elsewhere. Is this fair comment?" Zelic: "No it's not!" Diegos: "Well you know that we are renowned for asking the hard questions". Zelic: "Obviously you do. I've had a lot of injury problems in the past. I made one unhappy move to England were a lot of things contributed to my problems. The lifestyle and the club l was playing for just didn't suit me. It was a very depressing time. I only ended up playing three games for Queens Park Rangers and after a lot of injuries, I'm just glad to be playing again regularly. Last year l played 31 of the 32 matches available. It's just really good to finally be injury free".
Diegos: " Is there any particular chemistry on the playing fields in Germany that you haven't been able to find elsewhere?" Zelic: " I guess the game is played differently in every country. The French and the English have contrasting styles even though they are neighbors. In France, with Auxerre, I had the same problems with injuries. After a good start, I ended up being out of the game for six months and then it became very hard for me to re-establish myself. I'm a very impatient type of person and if I'm not playing for an extended period of time, l think a lot about the future and whether l should move on, and this is what eventually happened".
Diegos: " 1860 was obviously a big year for your club. What has been your best year in the game?" Zelic: " Definitely my first year at Dortmund. After three weeks of coming to the club and l could call myself a regular in that team. We made the UEFA Cup final in that year but were well and truly pumped by Juventus. Irrespective of the result, it was a fantastic experience and topped off a very successful year for me. The 1998 season with TSV has also been a good year for me." Diegos: " Your club's name TSV 1860 Munich, is a very interesting one but a real mouthful. What do the club fans chant at games when supporting the team?" Zelic: " They just sing 1860 over and over again." Diegos: " I suppose if it's good enough for singer/song writer, Prince to sing '1999', its good enough for your supporters to sing '1860'. It's a little bit repetitive but original all the same." Zelic: " It's enough to get me fired up." Soft Sombrero Moment 1999
During your low times in recent years, did you ever go to your video collection and slip on that game to pep you up a bit? What did that goal do for your career at the time?" Zelic: " Well basically that game secured a contract for me with Dortmund. That goal in the end got Australia to the Olympics. I have watched the game a few times here and there, it brings back some great memories". Soft Sombrero Moment 1999
Zelic: " Unfortunately for you guys, you don't get the scoop - l had to answer that question about 100 times after it happened. I really did mean to shoot. I remember that l did have the option to cross it to one of our strikers or go for goal. I went for goal and luckily for me it worked out. I know there are a lot of people out there who believe that it was a cross gone wrong but l assure everyone, for the 104th time, that l did mean to score." Soft Sombrero Moment 1999
Diegos: " When asked, many years ago, why you didn't make yourself available to play for Australia during the Atlanta Olympics, you were quoted as saying, 'that playing for Australia doesn't always put the Coco pops on the table'. Firstly, what are the Coco pops like in Germany and secondly, can you give us an idea how difficult it is for an overseas-based Australian player, to make himself available to play for the Socceroos regularly?" Zelic: " Well, I'm still an avid fan of Coco Pops. I mix them with some Frosties and have them every morning. It's a great start to the day. Back at the time you're referring to, l had just signed for Auxerre in France, and the club's coach put me under a lot of pressure not to go to the Olympics. I was in a situation were l had to basically make a decision, club or country. The fact that I'd already been to the Olympics in Barcelona, helped me make my decision. In hindsight, after being injured and out of the team for so long, l now regret not going to the Olympics. These are the decisions you have to make and unfortunately, sometimes things don't turn out as you would like them to." Soft Sombrero Moment 1999
Diegos: " Mark Viduka has just endured a period of pressure and drama after walking out on his new club Celtic in Scotland. Can you understand his stance on the issue and can you describe what sort of pressure, elite players overseas, are forced to face up to week in week out? Zelic: " To be honest the only pressure l have felt is having to perform week in week out. There are pressures from supporters who expect a lot from players and clubs as well. Having said that, in my opinion, l can't understand how a 23-year-old like Mark, can let himself be put under so much pressure. I don't really know the reasons for his actions, I guess you'll have to ask Mark that personally. At that age I don't think that a player can afford to let himself be put under so much pressure."
Diegos: " Most big European cities have at least two great football clubs. Munich has the team widely regarded as the 'FC Hollywood' of the Bundesliga, the prima donna - spoilt brats, Bayern Munich and your team, TSV 1860 Munich. What's the rivalry between both teams like and are Bayern really the pack of whinging, tempestuous, rich boys, that the media makes out they are?" Zelic: " There is a big rivalry here in the city between both teams. It really is the normal thing, when you look at Inter Milan and AC Milan, Athletico and Real Madrid, Liverpool and Everton, its just another example of the great rivalry between clubs in European cities. The players at Bayern Munich are expected to win the title every year. All their players are under enormous pressure to perform every week. The press are on the backs a lot because their players are earning big sums, up to $ 3-4 million a season, and as a result they like to dig up as much dirt as they can each of the players." Soft Sombrero Moment 1999
Diegos: " The rumour doing the rounds on the Four Diego grapevine is that the much vilified, former German national coach, Berti Vogts has recently turned his back on football and instead, directed his talents to acting. Is it a common occurrence for former footballers and coaches to take this career path and what are the chances of you getting your own show on German TV? Perhaps the German equivalent of 'The Great Outdoors with Ned Zelic' - it would be cold but we reckon it would rate well?" Zelic: " At the end of my career l really don't know what I'm going to do. It's still a long way off. I'd like to play another 8 or 9 years and maybe, after that get into coaching. Maybe doing an entertaining talk show with the Four Diegos could be a real possibility - you never know!"
Diegos: " You have been the only Australian player to ever be selected to play for a FIFA All- Star team. Who have been some of the players that you've played with in these games and how did they cope with the Aussie 'Dencorub on the jock strap' prank in the dressing before the game?" Zelic: " There were quite a few players - Lothar Matthaus, Jurgen Klinsman, George Weah, Redondo from Argentina and numerous other stars. Maradona was supposed to turn up as well. He was one of my boyhood heroes but didn't rock up in the end, which was disappointing. Perhaps he had heard of the 'Dencorub on the jock strap' prank and decided he wasn't going to take the risk." Soft Sombrero Moment 1999
Diegos: " You've been part of two failed World cup campaigns for Australia. Is it still a burning desire for you to play for Australia in a World cup finals series and what was your reaction when you heard that Australia will have to play through South America to make the next finals?" Zelic: " I'm quite happy about the proposed qualifying route. I think it will stop a lot of people over-estimating our chances as they did against Iran. Everyone has realized since that Iran weren't a bad team and most definitely, not a walkover. If we're going to play in the World Cup we're going to have beat teams as good as the South Americans anyway. There's no point in getting to the World cup and getting knocked out in the first round. It's definitely a goal of mine. It will most probably be my last chance. It's a big aim, a huge goal and l would love to lead the team to the World Cup as captain as well."
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