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2 months ago
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Former Socceroos goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac has opened up about the time the NSW Blues wanted to bash the Australian football team while they were parting at a nightclub in Sydney.
Kalac, who made 54 appearances for the Socceroos between 1992 and 2006, told Triple M's Rushhour Hero, Highlight & Hardship podcast about how a big night on the town almost turned violent.
'I remember a night out with the Socceroos where the NSW Blues, the rugby league team, wanted to belt the hell out of us at [former Kings Cross nightclub] Sugar Reef one night,' recalled Kalac.
'They wanted to belt us - it wasn't our fault that we were buying Cristal [expensive champagne] and they were on the VBs.
Zeljko Kalac (pictured) has revealed that the NSW Blues at one time wanted to bash the Australian football team while they were parting at a nightclub in Sydney
'Mate, we were on the Cristals and the cocktails and they were on the VBs. Where do you think the girls were going to go?
'They're looking at the dollar signs! Ching, ching!'
Maroons great turned Triple M star Wendell Sailor was on the panel and said, 'That's typical New South Wales.
'If us Queenslanders were there [we would have said] hey boys, do you want a drink?'
Kalac did a four-year stint with Italian giants AC Milan where he played alongside footballing royalty like Paolo Maldini, Kaka and Andrea Pirlo - but some of his favourite memories involve superstar Ronaldinho.
'He was the king,' laughed Kalac.
'So you'd just got belted at training. You'd come home, you're tired and a phone would ring at 10pm.
'And I used to go to sleep really late in Milan because we trained in the afternoon and he'd ring me up and he'd say "Man, where are you?"'
'I'd say I'm at home - where am I going to be it's 10pm at night!
'He'd say, "Come to my house! Barbecue!"'
NSW players were annoyed that women were flocking to the Socceroos stars (current Blues stars are pictured, none of whom were involved in Kalac's story)
Kalac made 54 appearances for the Socceroos between 1992 and 2006
The former Socceroos goalkeeper also revealed some of the legendary antics of Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho (pictured right) when they played on the same team in Italy
'I'd get to his house. The barbecue is cooking at 10.30pm, all the Brazilians are there - from Milan and from Inter.
'All the Brazilians are there, and then you'd see me and Becks (David Beckham).
'And Becks had this guy - I can't remember his name, but he was smaller - and I used to go to Becks all the time 'What's Jerry Maguire doing here?"'
Since retiring as a professional, Kalac has worked as a goalkeeping coach for several A League teams and he’s now serving as the head coach of Sydney United in the National Premier League.
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