He is confident the government will help groups to cope with the Corona virus crisis • Denies giving up on Stefan Spirovsky because of his salary • Refers to Nir Klinger • And makes it clear he will oppose the league's increase • Interview with Sharon Nissanov

• Sharon Nissanov. "The cut we made to the paid players is about the time they sat at home"

  Photo: 

  Danny Maron

Everyone knows that the Premier League will not be able to return this season with a crowd, and it is highly doubtful if the next season will open with fans in the stands. For a team like Hapoel Tel Aviv, this is a serious financial blow, as the Reds built about NIS 4 million just from selling tickets to the top playoff games.

"It's not going to be a big financial hit for the big ones," he told Israel Today, Sharon Nisanov, one of the Hapoel owners, who, like the Betar owners of Jerusalem, is calling on the government to help the groups: "Everyone wants football to stay strong and not collapse, so I Think the state will help and not ignore what's happening. "

How many of your private businesses have been damaged by the Corona?

"We have been hurt a lot, but we will survive. As far as Hapoel Tel Aviv is concerned, it is clear that if we are hurt, the team will also be hurt. We'll end this season anyway, I hope with football, too, and for the next season we'll have to see what happens. I hope the worker doesn't get hurt too much, but in the end I think all groups will be hurt financially. "

Talk about budget cuts and wages for next season. How do you see the day after Corona?

"What has been the last two or three years in Israeli football - budgets, salaries, player acquisitions, will not be next season. It will be a tougher year than years past in the world and not only for us, but I believe that after we pass this year, everything will return to normal."

Klinger. Hapoel wants to stay // Photo: Danny Maron 

"Of every actor and actor"

Like most league teams, the Reds also demanded players cut 50 percent of their monthly salary as soon as the crisis began. The talks between the parties exploded several times, and the club officially announced the release of players to the USSR - a move that caused the two sides to attack each other in the media. Finally, the owners came a little ahead of the players, who fulfilled their demands, and mediated by advocate Roy Rosen.

"I understand every player and player," surprises Nissanov. "Footballers don't play for a long period of time, and ultimately they take care of their livelihood and family. It took players a while to understand what was happening in the market, but when they understood the situation, they saw that we as owners were super fair with them. All teams in the league, and the fact that both sides came out satisfied.

"The cut we made to players in pay is about the time they were sitting at home. For young people, we did not cut at all, and 50 percent gross exits 40 percent of the net, so you can say that most of the cut is 40 percent."

How did you give up on a player like Stefan Spirovsky?

"At first, Spirovsky was supposed to fly to his country (Northern Macedonia, SA) for a national team game, but then the game was canceled. Then we allowed him to fly to be with his wife who had to give birth. She gave birth, and then he contacted us and said he didn't want to come back to Israel because of personal problems. We consulted with the professional staff. If there was a league now we would not let him go and we would try to get in a different way, but since there is no league, it was decided to consider his personal problems and end the engagement. "

Spirovsky with cereal. Left just because of the situation // Photo: More Karni 

They claimed that you agreed to release him because he had earned a lot.

"That's not true. We spend NIS 30 million a year to succeed, do you think that if the league was played we would try to save $ 15 or $ 20,000 and not succeed? If there was a league, and when we apply for the title through the trophy, releasing it would have been A professional blow to the team and like I said - we would try to find a different solution, but when we considered everything we decided we could take into account his situation. "

Do you see the league coming back anytime soon?

"I think it depends very much on the return of the economy. If the economy returns to a full routine, then the league will also return. The UEFA concluded that they want to end all the leagues and given enough time for this to happen in each league. I don't know when, but I think we will finally be able to finish this season and play the trophy as well - we are two games away. "

The League's chairman, Erez Callafon, says that if they do not return to full training by mid-May at the latest, the league will not return.

"These things are not scary to me. Erez Lufon only wants Israeli football. I believe he tried to wake someone up and hope he succeeded as well. In the end, Erez and the administration are doing what all teams want."

If they cancel the season, will you oppose the league's increase to 16 teams?

"Before the Corona, the trend in the country was to reduce the Premier League, and not to increase it. If they want to increase the league only because there are no other solutions for downs and ascends - we will unequivocally oppose the league to 16 teams. We are for Fair Play. The regular league ended in time For those who forget, it is preferable that the last two teams drop out of the league and the first two in the National League go up. "

Chinese. Stabilizing the Reds // Photo: Danny Maron 

"Sinai is the glue of us all"

And it is impossible without some net football. Hapoel Tel Aviv started the season catastrophically, failed to score, sure not to win and every week got a little closer to the red line. Games Cup Winner.

"With facts you can't argue. Klinger arrived at the right time and we are very happy that he is the coach, both professionally and in terms of personality," Nissanov said. Nir's because the players always gave their 100 percent, and when you win then you probably enjoy it more. "

Is there a chance you'll sign Klinger beyond next season?

"If they don't steal him for the team, I believe Nir will continue at Hapoel Tel Aviv next season. Not only is he a candidate, Nir certainly deserves to coach the Israeli team. "

How much pressure and work did you get from the Chinese, the owners?

"Moshe is a very talented person and an outstanding personality. There is no doubt that Moshe Sinai today is the glue of the team, the glue of us all, especially between us and the players and the coach.