Financing: "Must Achieve Achievements" Israel today

Idan Maimon is sure that the current handball generation "lacks the crazy winery" of his time • He encourages young players to go to Europe • and admits that he did not moderate as a coach: "Maybe on the outside, inside the fire remained"

• Financing during the training of Hapoel Rishon Lezion. First place

  Photo: 

  Danny Maron

Few athletes whose name is the first to come up when mentioning the industry in which they excelled.

Speaking of handball in the country, the name is Idan Maimon (46), who also managed to become a leading coach (double last season). 

This season, with a budget far from the top of the list, he will advance to the playoffs from first place with Hapoel Rishon LeZion. However, this week, in the first game of the season that can be defined as "be or cease", the Reds showed poor ability and were defeated in the Cup semifinals by the city rival Maccabi Rishon LeZion (27:21), which they will meet today (16:00) in the final round of the regular season, for a game for honor only. 

"Even after I analyzed the semifinals, it is not clear to me why we collapsed. We made excellent preparation and Maccabi did not surprise us," Maimon told Israel Today, "Sure the players wanted, but things we did well throughout the season we could not express. Disappointing." .

Is that a cause for concern ahead of today's derby?

"As a coach I have to draw conclusions, show the players the mistakes and correct. I hope we can look better."

The stoppage of the handball league's activities due to the Corona did not stop Hapoel Rishon LeZion, but there were no shortage of difficulties. "The stops and closures meant that we had to do a re-preparation every time," explains Maimon. "I received the players after a month at home and without indication of their preparation.

I hope there will not be another stop until the end of the season. "

"We were killers"

As mentioned, Maimon is considered to be the greatest player in Israel in every way: achievements and numbers, individual and team - winning the World High School Championship with "Amit Amal" (1992), leading the youth team to the world top (1994), the Champions League quarterfinals with Hapoel Rishon Lezion (2000), and of course illegal immigration European Championships (2002), last big tournament where the team participated. and despite all this seems very far from the current generation of handball Israel Maimon think that this generation is "very competent and must in future bring achievements with the national team." 

what Need this generation?

"International experience, even though we've never had so many players in Europe.

They also need the veterans. "

How do you explain the achievement gaps between your generation and the present?

" We were a generation that went all the way together, we were killers and we never saw anyone in the eye.

We knew how to get results when we needed to.

We had character as a team, as a team.

We knew how to deal with stress.

In the end it was also the ability, we were very talented.

When there is the shell, there are also results.

I strongly believe that if they let this generation play now - there is no reason not to return to the European and World Championships. "

Did the comfort and good conditions create a spoiled generation in Israeli handball?

" I do not think so, these players work hard.

They may be softer than our generation, we may lack our insane wininess in every game, but it's something that can be built.

If they give their backs - good things will happen, and more players will move to France and Germany.

Every player who can, should go to the leagues there.

There is nothing to compare in professionalism, conduct and level. "

Financing in the retirement game.

"The difference between a player and a coach is huge" 

"We could have surprised" in

reference to the recent European Championship qualifiers, funding sure the team missed an opportunity.

"We caught Portugal and Lithuania in games we could have surprised, but it did not happen," he says, but also understands that it is not easy, "they are 22-21 year old players, and I do not expect that in such a difficult draw they will qualify for a big tournament. "Look a few years ahead. Let them gain experience and see if they can get to a big tournament."

Even after you became a coach, your extreme perfectionism did not change at all.

"The difference between a player and a coach is huge. As a player everything is under your control. As a coach you have to transfer knowledge to 15 players, and they have to perform. If they don't perform, you can't succeed. I understand that things on the pitch are less up to me."

Have you relaxed a bit in recent years?

"As a coach I went through a process of growing up. At first I took things like a player and that was reflected in arguments. Now it's different, but I still live and breathe the game. Even if I look milder, inside the fire remains and I want to win every game."