He stood tall in the face of brutal Sydney derby vitriol, but Vedran Janjetovic wasn't allowed to talk about it.
The Western Sydney goalkeeper was under strict instruction from his new club to avoid media on Saturday night's first return to Allianz Stadium, the venue at which he played five A-League seasons for Sydney FC before last month's an acrimonious exit.
As the first player to cross the divide since the Wanderers' inception, Janjetovic would have expected an icy reception.
He certainly got it, as Sky Blues fans relentlessly taunted their former custodian and launched a wave of rubber snakes into his net.
During the warm-up he took it in his stride, beating his chest and smiling as a chorus of boos erupted around a packed-out Allianz Stadium.
The 29-year-old's mental fortitude continued throughout the stalemate, making several saves, including one acrobatic leap to deny an Alex Wilkinson header.
He refused to speak to media post match, which a Wanderers representative confirmed was in line with a club-inflicted media ban.
Janjetovic hasn't had the chance to speak publicly since signing an 18-month deal with the Wanderers nearly a month ago.
Though he did unleash a scathing, since-deleted Instagram attack on Sky Blues officials after coach Graham Arnold said the gloveman had forced the club's hand in granting him a release.
After a friendly chat with a former Sydney teammate in the tunnel, Janjetovic saw waiting journalists and put on his headphones before rushing past.
Wanderers coach Tony Popovic praised Janjetovic's performance and said he hadn't felt the need to tell his recruit to keep his swagger in check.
"He was very assured in goal, very calm," Popovic said.
"You can see he's a very good keeper."
