Whilst at the Masters Series in Hamburg, leading ATP players took time out to give their World Cup predictions. Some wise players backed the favourites, Brasil. Ljubicic, Srichaphan and Santoro all decided the football geniuses were the team to beat in Germany this summer.
Some players however were completely blinded by bias. After Seville and Barcelona's success in European competitions, Juan Carlos Ferrer boldy predicted that Spain would be the team to lift the trophy in Berlin on the 9th July. But none were more misguided than Novak Djokovic who said: "Serbia and Montenegro (will win) because I am a citizen of this country. Simple. Because they are the best".
At this point everyone's favourite Scot leaned into the camera, smirking, and pointed out: "They also aren't in the World Cup". He then went on to elaborate, "Whoever England are playing against, I'll be supporting them." Hmmm, do we detect a hint of sour grapes that his own country, Scotland also failed to qualify along with Serbia and Montenegro?
Serbia and Montenegro are in the world cup. They are in group C and have a good chance of progressing with players like Kezman who was at Chelsea and Vivic who plays for Scumchester Untied. (Manchester United but i prefer Scumchester Untied!)
Madeline wrote: Silly lad. He may not care about alienating his English fans, but I bet potential sponsors do.
I'm sure the sponsors will recognise it as a bit of fun the same as most other people to be honest. Lets be honest - most Scottish people aren't going to be cheering on England and wouldn't even lie about it in order to be diplomatic. My English friends accept where I stand and give me as good as they get. Call it small nation mentality, (plus the fact that we get it stuffed down our throat constantly ;)) but it's pretty much the norm in the rest of the UK not helped by the fact that the rest of us get patronised when we have a half decent result and when England have a good run, we get the whole thing hyped out of all proportian when, in reality, no one cares.
I hope this isn't one of those things where he makes an innocent comment and it gets blown up into some huge issue.
Really, Andy was saying it tongue in cheek, you could tell, I read an interview last year where he said he'd be supporting England really. Anyway, rivalry is good, makes sport all the more exciting!
Really, Andy was saying it tongue in cheek, you could tell, I read an interview last year where he said he'd be supporting England really. Anyway, rivalry is good, makes sport all the more exciting!
Whether Andy was joking or not, many of us Scots do have those very sentiments - it is traditional!!!!