The 2013 Wimbledon champion is a well-known football fan, and before the match in Valencia, he met with the club president Amadeo Salvo. The two had a pleasant conversation, and the latter presented Murray with a jersey bearing his name. Subsequently, the Scot appeared in the VIP seats at the Mestalla Stadium to watch the match.
When it comes to Murray's relationship with football, the media and fans are likely most familiar with the column he wrote for The Australian during the 2013 Australian Open. At that time, he discussed his ideal "football dream team of five from the tennis world." In this list, he included the names of Nadal, Tsonga, Ferrer, Nishikori, and Serena Williams. In his view, Nadal is undoubtedly the central midfielder, Tsonga is the forward, Nishikori launches attacks from the right, and Ferrer is responsible for running all over the field. Of course, Williams is the best candidate for the super substitute.
Additionally, he also made a guest appearance as a football commentator at the end of the 2012 season. At that time, FIFA and XIX Management Group jointly recommended Murray and Henman, both of whom are tennis experts and passionate football fans. Although Murray once joked during the 2006 World Cup that he supported "everyone except the players representing England," that was merely a youthful jest. Deep down, he still feels a connection with England and hopes that one day they will lift the trophy. By the 2010 World Cup, he clarified in an interview: "Yes, I will no longer make jokes about the England team."