From the small village to the debut in the Premier League

by time news

Already at a young age, the family said that Karem Zoevi would become an actor. His grandfather drove the whole country crazy, and this week Ziv Aryeh, the coach of Hapoel Jerusalem, during the game with Maccabi Netanya, sent Zoevi to his successful debut in the Premier League, a month before the latter’s 17th birthday.

The talented young man was involved in the first 11-meter kick that was awarded to the Jerusalem team. Only playing in the national teams prevented the debut of young Zoevi long ago. He grew up in Tamra village in the north in a family that breathes football. The famous one with the name Zoevi is Hisham, the brother of the grandfather Karam Zoevi, who is the living spirit of the family and whose name is called the rising talent.

I have known the family for decades, since the time when Hisham Zoevi played for Maccabi Tel Aviv. Grandpa Karam used to drive me crazy about quite a few talents growing up in the family, but to his credit, he always said about Karam Jr. that he was something special.

Something special. Karam Zoevi (Reuven Schwartz)

He even started playing football at Esi Gilboa, which is closer to the family home, from where he ended up at Maccabi Haifa. This was the time when there was a mess in the green youth department, until the owner Yankela Shahar made order there after we exposed in ONE what was happening there as part of the “envelopes for minutes” affair. There were factors in Haifa who did not understand the talent they had in their hands, and an appeal by Gadi Carmeli, who at the time ran the academy at Hapoel Jerusalem, brought the family to the dramatic decision: the boy left the nursery and, together with his younger brother Omri, who also plays for Hapoel Jerusalem, the two moved to live in Jerusalem, when Hapoel Jerusalem took care of everything for them.

He is considered a goal machine during all the last seasons. This season as part of Hapoel Jerusalem’s boys and youth teams, he has so far scored 17 league goals and three more goals in the state cup. Last season, 2021/22, he has 22 league goals and four more goals in the state cup as part of the Jerusalem boys’ teams. In the 2020/21 season, he scored 17 league goals and two more in the cup as part of Hapoel Jerusalem’s boys’ teams.

Adham Zoevi, Karem’s father, says: “The boy was in Maccabi Haifa, but they didn’t appreciate him enough. Transferring him from Maccabi Haifa to Hapoel Jerusalem was one of the hardest decisions I made in my life. On the first trip to Jerusalem I forcibly got the boy out of bed, he said ‘What will I do with my friends from Haifa?’, and I gently told him – ‘Let’s start all over again, I’m with you’.

Adham and Karam Zoevi (private)Adham and Karam Zoevi (private)

“However, it took us a month to decide if he stayed only because of the travel and the distance, because we found warmth, love and respect from Gadi Carmeli and his sons (the players) from day one. It turns out that the decision that was the most difficult until now is the most correct decision for the development of the child’s talent. The children Karam and Omari are my whole life. I gave up coaching a team in the national league and the first league in order to drive the children and accompany them every step of the way. I didn’t sleep at night, I would get up early, absent from work for days to help my children in Jerusalem. My school career and also my soccer career in coaching was stopped for the sake of the children and their careers. There is nothing sweeter than this, to see success in front of my eyes.”

By the way, just before the move, about four years ago, Grandfather Karam received a call from an official at Maccabi Haifa who assured him that they were making an order, and asked him to stay, but the grandfather said “We closed Hapoel Jerusalem, and a word is a word with us.” On the way there was another crisis with Hapoel Jerusalem after about a year, he was almost already on his way to move to another team, but Gadi Carmeli simply did not let this super talent slip from his hands, and Karam Zoevi signed a new contract with the Jerusalem team.

In the group from the capital they didn't let him slip away.  Karam Zoevi - Hapoel Jerusalem Nearim A. Al (courtesy of Adham Zoevi)In the group from the capital they didn’t let him slip away. Karam Zoevi – Hapoel Jerusalem Nearim A. Al (courtesy of Adham Zoevi)

Gedi Carmeliwho no longer works at Hapoel Jerusalem today, is heard today very smiling at Karem’s success and he tells ONE: “In 2016 he was a substitute player for Maccabi Haifa, I told his father ‘Bring him to Hapoel Jerusalem’s academy.’ I told him then that at the age of 16.5 he will play in the seniors, so I apologize that I was wrong in several months. I think that in terms of qualities, talent and physical data, he is the most talented center nine striker who grew up in Israel. As I told him every day in the academy, he received a gift and everything depends on him. He has speed, an extraordinary understanding of the game , an unusual kick, an unusual head game. He is very special.”

Where can he go?
“He won’t stay much longer in Israel, he will reach Europe very quickly to the most senior leagues. He is an unusual talent that you don’t see every day.”

“Karam will not stay much longer in Israel.” Gadi Carmeli (Yonathan Ginzburg)

Carmeli further adds: “Not every family would take such a bold step of taking the children away from home at such a young age and moving them to Jerusalem. To their credit, they listened to what I promised them.”

By the way, there was a period when Carmeli took Karam to sleep with him, he wrapped him so closely. Adham Zoevi, Karem’s father, accompanies him everywhere, when he went through difficult times, but he did not give up and made sure that the boy had peace so that he could concentrate on football.

The father did not give up.  Karam Zoevi with his father Adham (private)The father did not give up. Karam Zoevi with his father Adham (private)

During the Corona period, Carmeli built a special and orderly training program for Zoevi, and in fact the family testifies that after the first lockdown he came back a different player, and raised his level by several levels. In fact, the entire extended family rallied to support the project of the pioneer of the future. For each of his games, they make sure that several family members come together, accompany and cheer closely.

Hisham Zoavi, who previously played for Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Hapoel Haifa and is now a coach in the lower leagues, says about Karam in a conversation with ONE: “He is a mature kid, we saw his body language both as soon as he entered the field and when they called the penalty, you don’t see that in a boy under his age 17. It shows mental toughness, self-confidence, the guy is focused on the goal. I have many conversations with him, he listens to me on how to behave on the field, in training, in the locker room, to be humble, to work hard.”

“He has mental strength and confidence.” Hisham Zoevi (courtesy of Kfar Cana youth)

Zoevi added: “A good word goes out to Ziv Aryeh, the coach of Hapoel Jerusalem, a tactical coach who does an outstanding job. Not many coaches would give a platform to a young player in such a position. This is an opportunity for him and for the team to run it. Their goal is clear to sell him in the near future to a group in Israel or to a group abroad. Our goal is for him to go abroad. On the next occasion he will receive the burden of proof on him to show continuity.”

What makes him special?
“He knows how to score goals in any situation, left, right, many goals with a touch, or in an individual operation. He is not a striker who plays in one position, he can play in all positions in the attack. It is an advantage for him to find a team because not many players have the arsenal that he has.”

His release clause from the Jerusalem team is about 800 thousand euros, together with the improvement fee it amounts to about 1 million euros. The family intends for him to make the jump to the group overseas, with the father Adham promising to make time and accompany the boy closely after he accompanied him abroad three times in the last year.

Karam Zoevi after squeezing the penalty.  His family foresees a bright future for him (Reuven Schwartz)Karam Zoevi after squeezing the penalty. His family foresees a bright future for him (Reuven Schwartz)

Just as the Premier League did not enjoy Oskar Gloch for a long time, it seems that the Premier League will not get to taste much before his next big jump either.

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