The striker is confident that winning the Champions League will deter Maccabi Tel Aviv's rivals in the league - and is focused on the success of the Yellows in Europe: "This is our number one goal"

• Ben Haim vs. Hapoel BS. Maccabi needs to prepare the inexperienced for Europe

  Photo: 

  Alan Shiver

Maccabi Tel Aviv had almost no time to celebrate winning the Champions League and already this morning the Yellows began preparations for next week's Champions League qualifier against Riga. The one who will miss the game in question is striker Yonatan Cohen, who will be absent due to dismissal.

"We will now put the trophy in the closet and focus on our task, which is to qualify for a European home stage," said striker Tal Ben Haim, who added, "The club has not been in Europe for two years and that is not something that should happen at Maccabi Tel Aviv. "Our number one goal, from the players to the higher echelons of the club, is to move up to a European home stage and do everything we can to achieve that." 

Ben Haim: "There are no easy games in Europe at any stage, we will come as prepared as we can be. The veteran players, who played in these positions and the professional team, we will have to do everything to prepare those who have no experience in these positions."

On winning the Champions League, Ben Haim said: "It makes sense to start a season with a title, and more against a difficult opponent who won the cup a few weeks ago and one of the dominant teams in Israeli football. I think we were much more dominant and much better throughout the 180 minutes. "Intentions and creating deterrence. It's important at these stages of the season." 

Ben Haim, who made his debut in the yellow uniform again yesterday, commented on the end of the return to the champion: "From the moment you arrive in Kiryat Shalom you get all the tools to be the best on the grass. We will not use Corona as an excuse. It happened to me after four years that it did not happen. "