Yosef Abu Laban was one of the outstanding talents in Hapoel BS. The striker with the familiar curls emerged from the youth as a great promise as someone who might lead the team from the capital of the Negev, but he did not really manifest himself in the team in the capital of the Negev, as he left right before the arrival of Barak Becher.
In between, he moved between teams including Ramat Hasharon and Ra’anana, while in the last years of his career he played in the lower leagues in Samson Kfar Kasem and MK Or Yehuda. At the age of 32, Abu Laban was supposed to be at the peak of his football career, but 3 years ago he had to retire after tearing his cruciate ligament for the second time. After early retirement, he had to recalculate his path, and found a way that ignited his excitement: a fitness training instructor.
Forget the old Yossef Abu Laban, we met him a completely different 2022 model than we knew. The curls remained similar to what they were, but the skinny boy we were used to seeing was replaced by a fitness guru who gained about 18 kg from what he was during his career. In an interview with the Sports Channel, he talks about the change in his life and the failure in his career.
“After I tore the cruciate ligament for the second time, I realized that this was it, my career was over,” Abu Laban admitted, “I got up the next day and saw my knee the size of my head. Everything you were used to doing in your life, suddenly starts over.”
so what are we doing?
“Even after I tore my cruciate ligament for the first time, I started a gym instructor course, so I was into it and I knew that’s where I was going – to help people and guide them. Today I am a fitness instructor, building programs in one of the largest gyms in Beer Sheva. There is tremendous satisfaction in guiding people”.
How much do you miss football?
“Today I can’t run, physically I haven’t touched a ball in 3 years. Recently, friends would play bounce and I was afraid to touch the ball or even bounce a ball. My knee is giving out all the time. My change is very visible. Today I eat what I want, I got fat 18 kg from my football days and today I weigh 84 kg. It’s not that I’m not in shape, on the contrary – I’m in excellent shape, I’m just working mainly on my upper body more. I’m trying to be the best, just in something else.”
How did you feel missing out on what was in your career?
“They compared me to Mons Davor at the beginning of my career, but there is nothing to compare. He reached crazy levels. I had the talent and the potential, I saw something very big in football. But I was a child who was not ready for it mentally either, beyond the injuries that stopped me. Today as an adult I know how to pay attention to the mistakes I made in the past. I think the place where I grew up, which is Hapoel B.S., didn’t give me enough of a shell that suited me – it’s not Hapoel B.S. of today, but other days.
What do you mean when you say an envelope in the BS?
“Alona Barkat is an amazing woman who helped me a lot, and I have no complaint against her or anyone from the club. I received a very good envelope in the transition from youth to adults, but there is a pressure cooker in Hapoel B.S., which is not easy to deal with and you had to know how to do it. In those years there was no opportunity to develop as a top player because there were always new players over home players, and then it makes it difficult to become a senior player. As a kid I didn’t have the maturity to understand what it meant to be on the bench, waiting for your chance – I didn’t understand it enough then. Today, as an adult, I understand that.”
Do you still come to Turner to watch the games?
“I come to the games as a fan and enjoy seeing what is happening in B.S. Fans really wanted me to succeed, but the injuries made me a less good player than I should be. I really enjoy seeing the success of Hapoel BS today, even if it hurts me a little that I didn’t get to where I was supposed to get to.”
Are you still in touch with people from football?
“My sister made us very proud when she interpreted the World Cup (Nadine Abu Laban. AA). My uncle was a player in Hapoel BS and Hapoel TA (Rami Abu Laban. AA), so we are a soccer family.”
@yosef_abolabn The exercises that helped me gain 18 kilos in muscle mass ???????? #عليهبمشكل #سفروت #لفنياثري #لفنيواخري #معلم الحديق #معلم الحديمبارشفع #بارشبع ♬ Way Of The Warrior – Fifty Vinc