Award Banner
Award Banner

Hougang United Croatian footballer reveals his love for popiah and kopi

Hougang United Croatian footballer reveals his love for popiah and kopi
PHOTO: Screengrabs/TikTok/Ashfutbolita

Hailing from Croatia, one might assume Kristijan Krajcek may not be the biggest fan of the local food scene - but far from it.

In fact, the Hougang United footballer has his fair share of local favourites.

During a recent interview with Ash Hashim, Kristijan revealed his daily coffee run and it's (surprisingly) similar to that of an everyday Singaporean.

"First thing in the morning, when I go to Jalan Besar Stadium, I get my kopi-o kosong," the 29-year-old said.

The fact that he used the right terminology sent Ash and his teammate, Zaiful Nizam, chuckling away.

It wasn't just his love for local coffee. A 51-second TikTok video was posted on Aug 29 where Kristijan shared a few other Singaporean dishes he adores.

@ashfutbolita Hougang United duo Kristijan Krajcek and Zaiful Nizam chat on popiahs and rice cookers in Singapore 😂 #sgsports #football #fypシ ♬ The Best Time - Infraction Music

Kaya toast and soft boiled eggs are also part of Kristijan's morning routine.

When asked to name other local delicacies he likes, he immediately replied: "Popiah." 

The Croatian footballer mentioned that he was on a vegetarian diet when he first arrived in Singapore.

"I was surprised how many vegetarian options there are. So popiah is one of my favourites," he explained.

Rice, rice, baby

Unlike Singapore, it seems like rice isn't a big part of Croatian cuisine.

Kristijan even joked that he did not know what a rice cooker was before he moved to Singapore.

"When I came to Singapore, my rice cooker was full all day," he laughed.

Kristijan seem to have assimilated well into local life ever since his transfer from Bijelo Brdo, a club in his native Croatia, to Balestier Khalsa in February 2019.

He spent three seasons with Balestier Khalsa before moving to his current club, Hougang United.

The left winger is in flying form this season, scoring nine and assisting nine goals in his 20 Singapore Premier League appearances.

Another footballer from the Baltic region who made a footballing career in Singapore is Aleksandar Duric.

He even gained Singaporean citizenship on Sept 27, 2007 and represented the nation 53 times, scoring 24 goals.

In a 2021 podcast interview with One Mic Stand, the former national striker mentioned that he is happy with what he's achieved in life.

He also doesn't regret his decision to leave Bosnia and make Singapore his home.

ALSO READ: Tourist calls Our Tampines Hub 'world's weirdest stadium' after flying to Singapore to watch football match

amierul@asiaone.com

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.

This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.