As has been the case in recent seasons, even today (Tuesday) the Maccabi Tel Aviv players and the professional staff showed up at the BOSS store in the Ramat Aviv Mall to refresh their wardrobe and representative clothing. As you remember, in 2018 the agreement between the big fashion brand and the Yellows was signed and it was renewed for another period. Maccabi Tel Aviv has joined an exclusive group of football clubs that are in collaboration with the brand through FACTORY 54 which is owned by the Irani family and the exclusive importer of the BOSS super fashion brand in Israel.
The one who came for the first time to the club’s representative event is, of course, the new coach Aitor Karanka, who later in the day will begin his team’s preparations for the match against Beitar Jerusalem. About 5,000 tickets have already been sold for the game at Teddy within a few hours and there is an expectation of an escort of about 7,000 yellow-blue fans for the fascinating meeting this coming Monday, a week before what should be the season’s game against Maccabi Haifa. Oskar Gloch, who was absent from the last game due to a high fever, will try to return to training tonight with the other players when the club hopes that they will be able to reach Teddy with a full squad.
Dor Peretz, who came to the event together with his teammates, took the time to talk to ONE and talked about the acclimatization in Israel, the preparations for the game against Maccabi Haifa, the changes in his game, the departure of Ivić and of course – the feeling in the new suit.
You just came back from Italy, how do you feel about the suit?
“Italy and suits always go together and there is a really great launch by BOSS here. We came to show the suits they gave us, which are part of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s way and fit in nicely.”
The coach said you didn’t play because he was keeping you for Maccabi Haifa, are you starting to feel better about yourself in your personal ability?
“Starting to acclimate and in the end I left for a year and it takes time to acclimate again. Very happy with my ability in the last games. The coach’s thinking is very flattering, but it doesn’t promise me anything. You have to keep working hard and prove it game by game.”
Does this type of thinking in a four yellow situation come from the coach’s side or the player’s side?
“This is the thinking of the system or those consulted. I think that every game should be played and what needs to happen will happen. If I played and got a yellow I would miss Haifa, but luckily that’s not the case and I can play this game. Even before that we have Beitar and it’s a huge game, so it’s still a long way to talk about Maccabi Haifa.”
You came back with new qualities in your game from Italy, in the level of responsibility and the level of promoting the game.
“It’s something that came from there. I felt in the minutes of the game that I played there that if I didn’t promote the game there would be someone else who would do it and he would play in my place, so I understood that this is proper and healthy football and we should promote the game as long as possible. At Maccabi Tel Aviv we want to be a team that always pushes forward and strives to score more and create chances.”
We always talk about the acclimatization time of foreigners, could it be that this season we are witnessing the acclimatization time of a returning Legionnaire?
“It may be a new symptom, but changes always take time to adapt to, whether we like it or not, that’s a fact. Everyone takes their time. There are players who came from abroad and even after two years were not able to acclimatize, on the other hand, others after two games you already see them as players who grew up here. Everyone does their own way.”
Do you prefer stability on the lines or is it sometimes better for new blood to enter?
“I adapt to what is actually happening. I work in this club and I don’t make decisions, so I have to adapt as quickly as possible to what is happening in the club and do the best with those who are here. As players we have no other option, the day we are in management positions we can think differently, but today that is not our role.”
Did you have a personal breakup with Ivić?
“Not really. I wish him the best of luck like everyone else, but nothing personal.”
He was a central part of your return, of Yonatan Cohen and basically of everyone who came in the summer. Doesn’t that disappoint you? In the end you came back under a certain idea he presented.
“Football is a fluid thing. In the end we made the decision to return and did not rely on Voladan being here for half a season, a season or two seasons. We didn’t know what journey we were going on and that’s perfectly fine. He made his decisions, made his considerations and we are not here to judge him. It remains for us to do our best with the current coach, learn his philosophy and look the best there is.”
Despite the victory, the coach was not satisfied and spoke about it openly. As a bystander, can you pick yourself up and give more?
“Of course we can give more and I understand the things he talked about, but let’s not forget that he was here for two days so he was not able to convey to us a complete game philosophy and his agenda. We had a clear goal and that is to win the game and that is actually the most important thing. From here we have a goal both to win games and to look good, to play attractively and that will happen with the new coach.”
Maccabi Haifa almost does not lose points, you do yours too, yesterday with 0:6. Will the championship be decided in games between the majors this season?
“In the end, the points we lost were against teams that are in the middle and at the bottom of the table, Maccabi Haifa lost some points against teams that are at the bottom of the table. In the end, everyone loses points and the question is how much and whether you do the best job you can, in my opinion it will be decided on each game that takes place and not on the games between the majors.”
Owner of Factory54, the importer of the BOSS brand Yossi Irani: “This is the third year that Maccabi Tel Aviv is with us, I would like to point out that Boss Global is behind this cooperation. It was important for them to take a big club that would respect the brand and they chose Maccabi Tel Aviv to represent them in Israel. Everyone here is young and fit and looks like a model. Sits on them excellently.’
The director of the club Sharon Tamm: “It’s a collaboration with a super brand and it’s natural and right. All over Europe we cooperate with the big clubs, the players benefit from it and that’s important.’
