How a Lionel Messi-loving Argentine ended up supporting Bradford City

Of all the reasons to start supporting a football club very few can compare with the story of one Argentine’s love for Bradford City.

The then 10-year-old Ivo Soboleosky could have no idea that tuning in to see the Bantams’ stunning 4-2 FA Cup win at Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in 2015 would lead to a lifelong passion.

Mourinho had a number of clashes with Lionel Messi’s Barcelona with the Blues, Inter Milan and Real Madrid and that led Soboleosky to root for the underdog at Stamford Bridge.

“I’m from Rosario, the same city as Messi and I’m a big fan and I was watching the Chelsea v Bradford game and I hated Mourinho because of Messi,” he told BBC Radio Leeds.

“When a third division team beat the top of the Premier League I was buzzing and I wanted to know more about them.

“I started following the results and where they were in the table and then I started paying to watch the matches live.”

Soboleosky built up a large following of City fans on social media over the years that followed and came over to West Yorkshire to watch the team for the first time in May 2022.

He returned for a three-month spell in December last year, coinciding with the Bantams going on a club-record run of home wins as they charged up the League Two table.

When results dropped off after he had returned to South America a plan was hatched to get him back as they look to earn promotion.

Soboleovsky will be at a sold out Valley Parade on Saturday as they take on mid-table Fleetwood Town with a win enough to secure their place in League One.

“I was here for three months between December and March and we had a very good run of results where we were winning every game we played,” he added.

“The fans started calling me the good luck charm and when I went home we started losing games and one of the fans worked out the points per game and said we should do a GoFundme for this guy to get him back for the last two games.

“People started donating and last time I checked it was at £1,500.

“I thank them so much. I don’t have words enough for not only paying for the trip but all the messages they have sent me on my social media accounts. I don’t think I deserve them.”