Travel is part of life for footballers, and business opportunities have brought many teams to Australia in recent years, even if they play in exhibition competitions rather than the Australian league.
It’s always interesting to take a look at the sort of things players do off the pitch, and the culture (plus climate) in Australia is certainly different to Europe, where most pros still play. Kangaroo encounters, jungle antics and casino games are some of the hobbies and activities that players have explored when in Australia.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Casino Betting
Cristiano Ronaldo is not only one of the greatest footballers of all time, he is a global superstar and a household name. Many casino brands, as well as other companies, have taken advantage of his large number of followers and have signed Cristiano up as an ambassador. Several casino brands have done exactly this, as the Portuguese star has a reputation for gambling at the tables.
This includes when the former Madrid star is in Australia, as Ronaldo plays poker and other casino games, and has been seen gambling at Melbourne’s Crown Casino during his free time on tour, when he was a Real Madrid player. . He was in Australia for the International Champions Cup, which was a pre-season tournament organized by Australia and China. There were some big teams involved and Madrid played AC Milan, Roma and Manchester City.
As well as being seen in land-based casinos in Australia, many football superstars play online at a live casino in Australia to enjoy the anonymity of playing online but also be able to play their favorite games. You won’t be bombarded by paparazzi when logging into an online poker game or connecting with a live dealer at a casino site.
Australia allows casino gambling and there are not the same kind of strict restrictions that we sometimes see in other countries, so some of the players who have been to Australia on pre-season tours take advantage of the fact that gambling and Online slot machines are widely available. .
Harry Kane and James Maddison – Golf
Australia is the home of Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglu, who took his Tottenham team back to Australia on a pre-season tour before leading them into their first season in the Premier League.
Star players Harry Kane (before moving to Munich) and James Maddison decided to take part in a round of golf, and when their friendly competition turned strange, they decided to share it on Instagram.
The strange event that they did not expect? A kangaroo boxing match right in the middle of their game, which the soccer stars definitely found comical judging by their reactions.
We know that golf is popular with footballers anyway and Australia has some magnificent (albeit very hot) golf courses that people can enjoy when they have some down time; There have been many footballers who head to the golf courses when they are not playing matches.
Heading to the jungle
“I’m a celebrity: get me out of here!”
This is a hugely successful show and many footballers (as well as people involved in the football industry) have been to the jungle to undertake the crazy bushtucker trials and tribulations of weeks in the jungle eating rice and beans.
Players who have been on the reality show I’m a Celebrity include Ian Wright, David Ginola and Kieron Dyer, and they’ve definitely had some mixed experiences, with some of the players not really enjoying the experience. Ian Wright said of his time in the jungle:
“They let me down by not showing the full picture of who I am. I’m never far from feeling like I might cry. I have very deep feelings that I’ve had to learn to deal with, but I still have my moments.”
David Ginola was a fan favorite, and in a recent series, it was Lionesses footballer Jill Scott who won the nation’s love as she was named Queen of the Jungle despite being less famous than many. of its competitors. Scott had recently retired after winning the Euros with England Women, and since entering the program she has carved out a career as an expert in both the men’s and women’s games, this was an incredibly smart career move for her as it showed her charisma and won the love of the nation.
Conclusion
Footballers will be footballers, and you might not see many of them out and about in Australian cultural hotspots, snorkelling or visiting the Opera House, but there are certain hobbies that footballers seem to be drawn to, including casino gambling and golf. Football stars like Ronaldo and Harry Kane attract a lot of attention wherever they go and Australia is no different, so there are always stories about the casinos they have visited or the games they play off the pitch.
