stayed out. The saga of Eran Zahavi and the Israel national team reached a new boiling point this morning (Monday), after the Maccabi Tel Aviv star announced that he will not return to the national uniform for the upcoming games.
“Yesterday morning I had a conversation with the heads of the Israeli national team regarding my return to the national uniform,” Zahavi began in a post on the networks. “I agreed to their demands to share a room with another player at every gathering of the team, when my only request was to sleep alone the night before a game in order to prepare as I have been doing for many years with the professionalism that I have adapted for my benefit and the benefit of the team,” he continued.
“Unfortunately, I was once again answered with a jarring negative!”, Zahavi wrote and announced: “I wish the team and my friends there the best of luck. I am sorry that I was pushed out of a team that was everything to me for so many years. The anthem that is playing and the wonderful crowd that got excited with me with every goal I scored will be greatly missed. A huge thank you for the privilege to be excited and move you.”
As I recall, a few months ago Zahavi was not invited to the Israel national team after he did not agree to comply with the demands of the professional team led by Yossi Benion to share a room during the gatherings of the blue-whites. Now, after another attempt to mediate between the parties, no agreements were reached. Eran Zahavi is Israel’s all-time top scorer with 33 goals in 70 appearances. The Maccabi Tel Aviv striker’s last game in the national uniform was in December 2021 against Austria as part of the World Cup qualifiers.