Professional footballers have spent the majority of their lives focused on mastering their art but, away from the beautiful game, which other sports do they take an interest in?
The official Chelsea website continues to survey the squad to get a brief insight into their other sporting passions…
Paulo Ferreira
‘I’ve always liked basketball. I remember when I was young and the NBA play-offs started I tried always to follow the Chicago Bulls. It was amazing to see how good it was. I watched it on TV and two years ago I was in Miami and I went to watch the second game of the finals and it was Miami Heat against Dallas Mavericks, when Dallas won the trophy. I had been watching on television and to be there in America and to see how they love that sport was amazing, it was beautiful to watch.
‘I played basketball a lot in school. I was playing a lot of sports – football, basketball, handball – and a bit of other things like cross-country running. I was quite good at everything that needed speed like 100m or 60m, and for cross-country I had a few medals as well. I can’t complain!’
Ferreira’s interest in the Bulls is understandable given the Chicago side dominated basketball in the States during his teenage years. Michael Jordan was at his peak and they won six titles in eight years. Since Ferreira was there to see Dallas Mavericks triumph in 2011, the team they defeated have taken control with Miami Heat the champions on the last two occasions.
Marko Marin
‘Tennis is definitely the sport I watch other than football. I used to play, although not to a high standard, but even now I still love watching it. Novak Djokovic, a fellow Serbian, is my favourite player and I really enjoy watching him in action. I was lucky enough to get tickets to go to watch Wimbledon last summer, which was a fantastic experience, although I didn’t get to go when it was on at the O2 back in November, which was disappointing.’
Djokovic is currently number one in the ATP world rankings and has won six grand slam titles, most recently the 2013 Australian Open. In 2011, he became only the sixth player to win three grand slams in a calendar year, and he is the first Serbian to win a grand slam.
Djokovic is the only player to have won three consecutive Australian Open titles, and he was awarded the ATP World Tour Player of the Year in 2011 and 2012.
