WATCH: Slaven Bilic wins on English Championship debut, WBA fans dedicate new chant
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
4 August 2019 – Former Croatia international and coach, Slaven Bilic, has chalked up a victory on his English Championship debut with West Bromwich Albion.
Bilic’s side came back from being 1-0 down to beat Nottingham Forrest 2-1 away on the opening day of the season in the English Championship.
“I am very pleased, of course. You only need to look around at the crowd and the stadium – this is Premier League. It was like a Premier League game. I felt that we were happy to be winning 2-1 – and 2-1 can mean nothing. I want us to be confident, to have the composure and not to panic. That is the only part of the game – and it is a major part of the game – that I was not happy with,” Bilic said after the victory.
Croatian youth international Filip Krovinovic, who Bilic got on a season-long loan deal from Benfica this summer, played the full 90 minutes for the Baggies.
Bilic signed a two-year contract with WBA back in June. It was his first official match back in England after leaving West Ham in November 2017. The Croatian hopes to help WBA get promoted to the top flight of English football this season.
The WBA fans have immediately taken a liking to Bilic and have already come up with a chant for him.
“ Slaven Bilic, Slaven Bilic, he hates the villa, he’s from Croatia, he loves the baggies,” are the lyrics to the chant which will get sung a lot this season.
Video of the fans chanting after today’s win below.