How Bill Belichick reacted to Croatia knocking Brazil out of the World Cup

Bill Belichick is probably in a good mood today. After all, the New England Patriots’ head coach just watched the country of his ancestors knock the big favorite out of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

After a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time, Croatia was able to beat Brazil 4-2 on penalty kicks.

Because of the penalty shootout, Belichick arrived a few seconds late to the Patriots’ Friday practice. And when he did, he left no doubt about his allegiances: “How ‘bout that,” he proclaimed when walking up the stairs to the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium.

While the Patriots coach himself was born in Nashville and raised in Annapolis, his family is of Croatian descent.

His grandparents, Ivan and Marija, emigrated from the country in the late 1800s and settled in Pennsylvania in 1897. They would later get married and change their name from Biličić to Belichick. The couple had five kids, including Belichick’s father Steve (1919-2005).

Earlier this season, Belichick wore a Croatian flag as part of a new NFL diversity initiative.