Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Nir Klinger held a meeting for the players yesterday, immediately after the 3-0 defeat to Bnei Sakhnin, in which he mainly tried to encourage them ahead of the big derby next week.
"Raise your head. I have no complaints against you other than the extension," Klinger told the players, "It's not a 0-3 game, the result is not a reflection. It happened, but now we have to put that loss aside and concentrate only on the derby."
Hapoel players criticized Bnei Sakhnin for their performance and said: "Sakhnin were anti-football, they just came to pass the time. Every second another player of theirs lay down and rolled. We were unlucky."
But despite the complaints against Sakhnin and the refereeing display, Hapoel know they should not have lost such a game and certainly not fall apart at the end.
"In the last few minutes we bet on the whole pot and maybe we bet too much," said Nir Klinger.
Ahead of the derby, Hapoel will make great efforts to train Lucio, who has been absent from the pitches for more than a month due to injury.
If the Brazilian striker manages to complete most of the training this week he will also be considered for the squad.
Hapoel will also try to train Eddie Gottlieb and Doron Leidner, who were absent yesterday due to injuries.
And what did Klinger have to say about the big derby at the door?
"The players will have to give their million percent for the crowd that has been thirsty for victory in a derby for so many years. In a derby there is no connection to power relations or results, you put everything aside, and you understand it is an important game, a prestigious game and the respect of many people."
