NFL
Why did Bill Belichick receive Croatian citizenship from the country’s prime-minister?
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković presented the NFL coach Bill Belichick with a citizenship certificate in Zagreb, the country’s capital.
“It is my pleasure to present Mr. Belichick with a certificate of citizenship,” Plenković said. During the certificate presentation to Belichick, Plenković highlighted that his grandparents journeyed to the USA from Draganić village near Karlovac at the close of the 19th century.
“In America, Belichick has achieved the pinnacle of success in sports by winning the Super Bowl eight times,” said Plenković. The former coach of the New England Patriots was honored with a prestigious medal by the Croatian president last Friday.
Belichick’s proud of his Croatian origins
“We particularly appreciated that he almost always made it known, both through statements and certain symbols, that he was of Croatian origin and that he was proud of his grandfather’s homeland and family roots,” the prime minister added.
Belichick was pleased and thankful to be in Croatia, expressing that it was a great honor for him. He also shared insight into his family background, disclosing that his father was raised in a household where only Croatian was spoken. This was because his grandparents, who had immigrated to the US, did not speak English.
“From my father and his parents, I gained a work ethic and learned many lessons whose foundations were laid here in Croatia,” Belichick said, adding that he proudly wears the Croatian flag on his lapel badge whenever possible.
Belichick was a special guest at last night’s Croatia-North Macedonia (the Croatian team won 3-0) soccer match and will be a featured speaker at the Sports Sunset festival in Zadar. Later this week, Belichick is scheduled to make a special appearance as a guest of the Croatian football team in their preparation team camp in Rijeka for the 2024 European Championship. It is also interesting that another professional athlete related to the Boston area who has a strong relationship with Croatia as a member of the Croatian minority in the US is the former Celtic and member of the NBA Hall of Fame John Havlicek.