Maor Melikson has had a difficult time since the moment he decided to retire from football due to the same surgical complication in the previous hernia operation. He also lost his father in the last year and decided to make a tribute, both to bring the stories behind the scenes and as one of the most entertaining players we have in Israeli football. Malikson has been concentrating in recent years on writing a book that was published this week, when today it was officially launched. Here is one chapter from the book.
The Polish team or the Israeli team?
Two days before the critical game of the Israeli national team against the Greek national team, in training, I fought for the ball against Nael Khotaba, the right defender of Hapoel Tel Aviv. During the struggle, a preacher accidentally sent a hand towards my perfect face and hit my mouth. For a moment I thought he had arranged my teeth in the correct order, but I was wrong. I was badly cut on the tongue. One tooth almost came out completely through the lip, and I had a big cut and a lot of blood started dripping from me.
Assistant coach Tal Benin ran to me, looked at the bleeding, and calmed me down when he said, “God forbid, I don’t believe it.” For a week I went with Orit Fox’s lips. Dr. Mark Rusnowski, the team’s legendary doctor, did not approve me to play and I had to fly back to Poland. Shortly before that incident, we ended the Champions League qualifying campaign with a painful loss to Apoel Nicosia by one goal in the 90th minute, which prevented us from participating in the prestigious event. In that season, by the way, Nicosia reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Personally, I had a great campaign, which made the coach of the Polish national team contact me and arrange a meeting with us in Krakow. Before the start of training, the president of the team called me to his room for a meeting with the national team coach Smuda and a representative of the Polish association. I asked Skant, my Dutch coach in Krakow, to join as well. In the conversation Samuda told me that he has been following me for a long time, and made it clear to me that he wants me to play for the Polish national team.
He took a sheet of paper and drew the obvious formation for me, with me positioned as number 10 behind Lewandowski. He also talked about the professional opportunity I would have by playing for a team like Poland at the Euros, especially when they host the opening match that will be broadcast to hundreds of millions around the world. In addition, Smuda made it clear to me that I, Lewandowski and Jakub Blaczkowski from Dortmund would be the only ones who would be allowed to do our own personal campaigns for the Euros, apart from the campaigns of the Polish association and national team. That is, only the three of us can sign with sponsors other than the sponsors of the Polish national team, which is worth millions.
I looked at my coach Robert Maskant, who was looking at me looking at him looking at me, and we thought the same thing – how does Tzipi Shavit still have so much energy? Well, I’m not sure that’s exactly what he had in mind, but we realized that there was a professional and financial opportunity for me. I have not been counted in the Israeli team for several years now, and a team like Poland comes along and offers me such an opportunity. You’d have to be crazy to refuse. I told them I would have to consult with my family and think about it. When we left the meeting Maskant said to me, “I think Tzipi’s energy is from yoga, it doesn’t make sense that she is so energetic at her age”, I think. Or it was something like, “You’re an enlightened psycho, jump on it fast. It’s accepted all over the world that players born in a certain country represent another country. Don’t give it up.”
The truth is that everyone I consulted told me, “If you don’t go for it, you’re a psycho.” Everyone including everyone. Meanwhile in the Polish media there was madness that is really hard to explain in words. Edited photos of me in the uniform of the Polish national team appeared in the main newspapers of the country. The best commentators analyzed the event, and the headlines cried, “Will it happen?” “Maor’s moment of truth”, “Can such a type of hair be saved, the best books analyze”.
In addition, the players of the Polish national team expressed their opinion regarding my joining. Blachkowski, who is a great Wisla Krakow player, captain of the national team and Dortmund player at the time, was in favor and said he was sure I could contribute a lot to them. On the other side was Lewandowski, who said that he would have preferred as many Poles as possible to play in the team and as few foreigners with Polish passports as possible – and there were three others in the team besides me. I was not offended. I want to wish him hemorrhoids. He has already received his real punishment – we are alike.”
To purchase the book click here.