"Dad told me, 'The Swiss family will not take over Maccabi Tel Aviv' - Walla! Sport

At the end of April 1954, the Israeli team embarked on a more than one-month game trip to South Africa. During his stay at the hotel in Johannesburg, when the players and heads of the delegation went on a tour of the city, a telegram arrived from Tel Aviv to the hotel, which in the absence of the heads of the delegation was handed over to the young Nahum Stelmach. When the players returned to the hotel, Stelmach approached defender David Schweizer and asked him innocently, "If I can tell you good news, what will you give me?" The latter was quick to reply, "What could it be? You'll get ten dollars."

The telegram was sent to Schweizer, in which he announced the birth of his son in Tel Aviv. "It was only a month after Dad returned home that he first saw me," Moshe recalls, or by his better known name, Moishik.

That boy is no longer young, 67. He feels his age well. "About three months ago, I had hip replacement surgery on my left leg," he says.Everything is going according to plan. "

Beautiful days in Bloomfield. Moshe Schweizer in 1982 in the Maccabi Tel Aviv uniform (Photo: Reuven Castro)

Moishik started his career as a footballer in accordance with his father's tradition, at Hapoel Tel Aviv. That changed, but it was not easy. "I lived in the north of the city, my friends and I were connected to Maccabi Tel Aviv. They moved to play there in the youth department, and I also asked to leave Hapoel for Maccabi. "I enrolled in the agricultural school in Pardes Hanna, where the period passed."

Schweizer moved to the youth team of Maccabi Tel Aviv, it happened in 1970. Two years later he joined the senior team for the first time. "Coach Yosef Marimovich informed me that I will play in Bloomfield on Saturday against Betar Tel Aviv. I did not sleep all night, I rolled over in bed over and over again. I arrived at the locker room, I saw Spiegel, Blue, Talbi, Karko, Meir Nemani, Zvika Rosen enter and my heart was pounding inside me. I waited until everyone came in, to see which hanger was left available for me. "

"True. I did not get enough games and in one piece of advice with my father I asked to leave to gain minutes of play and gain experience elsewhere. "Gabi Rosendoren, Itzik Visoker, Boris Norman, Yank Rubinstein, Gadi Tzelniker and others. I quickly became one of the leading players and through Hapoel Petah Tikva I reached the Israeli team."

Two years of quarantine paid off.

Schweizer (bottom right) in the youth team of Maccabi Tel Aviv, early 1970s (Photo: courtesy of the photographer)

In 1974, Schweizer was a partner in a well-remembered game in the Cup semi-final against Betar Jerusalem, due to a very unusual event on the grass. "There were two games then," he recalled. Hapoel Petah Tikva won 0: 1 away and the rematch was in the stable in front of a large crowd that came from Jerusalem. "In the middle of the field, I asked him to defend me and he asked me to stand next to him. Our players, including Boris Norman, jumped over the wall and hid in the orchards that existed around then. At one point Stelmach told me 'go run away'. They wanted to kill me."

Hapoel Petach Tikva won a technical victory and advanced to the final against Hapoel Haifa.

"The momentum did not continue, we lost to Yaakov Grundman's team 0: 1 from a goal we absorbed in the 117th minute," Schweizer recalled, but this disappointment was small compared to the painful relegation in 1976.

"I did not participate in our last game against Hapoel Kfar Saba because I had 4 yellow cards. We lost 0: 1 to Israel Fogel's goal and his famous statement at the end 'We are athletes' (Vogel grew up in Hapoel Petah Tikva - AG). We were relegated together with Hapoel Hadera, Bnei Yehuda and Ramat Amidar. "

In the national league he starred.

"I had a great season in which I scored 17 goals, like Ehud Ben Tovim from Bnei Yehuda. We finished in fifth place and did not return to the national league. My contract there ended."

Good friend until the last minute.

Moshe Schweizer outside Ichilov before the death of Avi Cohen, December 2010 (Photo: Kobi Eliyahu)

At the end of that season, 1976/77, Maccabi Tel Aviv won a double and prepared for the next season. "Coach Yaakov Grundman and the legendary team manager Haim" Leibo "Leibowitz met with me and said they wanted me back at Maccabi Tel Aviv. I already played in the Champions League game against Maccabi Jaffa in October, where we won 2: 3 in the judgment of Avraham Klein."

Which Maccabi Tel Aviv did you return to?

"I knew most of the players. I finished the season with 11 goals, Tobacco scored 12."

"Giora Spiegel returned from France. Was my great season with 12 conquests, as Vicky broke. We were not able to win the double that we lost 2: 1 Beitar Jerusalem cup final."

"Avila's goal of the century will be remembered forever. There was a free kick by Shia Feigenbaum that was sent off by Spiegel. I saw Avi Cohen in a frenzy to take us all forward like a central striker. Alon Kaplan flew with the ball and made a detour for me. In practice the ball goes to the player who bypasses for a raise. Kaplan was sure the ball was going to him, but in a millionth of a second I decided it did not matter who picked up the wet ball between the drops and the field. I did not tell Kaplan, the ball reached Avila who kicked a bomb over goalkeeper Arie Bejarano. "

" Almost all the team players went out to spend time at a nightclub in Netanya. Near midnight, my father called me out and told me. 'I'm just telling you this. In the derby there was a Liverpool scout. We met at the Hilton Tel Aviv, they want me and you are a partner in me going to play in England. "Do not be surprised if tomorrow it will be the headline in the sports newspapers."

Did not account for anyone.

David Schweizer (Photo: Adi Avishai, Maariv)

But the Swiss had an unforgettable gate of its own.

"The huge and unforgettable semi-final in Ramat Gan against Maccabi Haifa that ended in 4: 4", he recalls one of the greatest games in the history of Israeli football in 1983, "An amazing giant for the net. We won a penalty shootout and reached the final. We saw in this game that from here Maccabi Haifa will start to rise to the top."

"To this day, everyone's feeling at Maccabi Tel Aviv is that Hapoel stole the trophy. It was a nightmare, you carry the loss when you go to bed and get up. These are things that happen, but the memories remain with you."

"Maccabi Tel Aviv held a group meeting at the Ramat Aviv Hotel. The whole team and management were present, I was the captain then. Dovid opened and said he was transferring the film from me to Avi Cohen's arm. He made it clear 'the Swiss family will not take over Maccabi Tel Aviv.' I was shocked, but I immediately told my father, we were good friends and it was clear to me and everyone that my father Cohen is my father Cohen. "

You also had a story with self-titled gates.

"In 1977 we played in Sydney against the Australian team and I scored an own goal for Yuji Surinov's net. An own goal, even though it was given to Australian Munis. 12 minutes later I scored the equalizer, it ended 1: 1. In the game against Maccabi Yavne I also scored an own goal. "And when David asked on the bench who had won the birch they were afraid to tell him it was his son. When Gabi Lasri told him it was Moishik, Dad said I would also equal and so it was. We finished 2-2."

"David wanted my best and told me the truth like 'I saw you, you are not a bully and more. I heard his voice, I did personal training and Dad was always right in his criticism.'

"Absolutely not. Dovid wanted discipline and behavior from each player that matched a team or team. In one of the national team training sessions in Ramat Gan, practicing kicks to the goal, I kicked a ball high above the crossbar. Dovid shouted at me and asked me to lower my body before the kick and improve it." "I know," he shouted at me, "who are you to answer me? Get out of here quickly from home."

David Schweizer scolds Moshik Schweizer (6:50 minutes in the video)

Schweizer was also a partner in the Tehran game against Iran in the 1974 Asian Nations Finals. "On the way there we defeated Malaysia 3: 8, the Philippines 0: 6, Japan and Burma 0: 3. In Tehran there was an anti-Israel atmosphere at its peak then during the games, and especially towards the final against Iran. Hundreds of Jews came to our hotel saying that their stores "We were marked in color with the letter X. It was made clear to Jews in other cities that they would hit them and set fire to the businesses.

"Since the Montreal 1976, there has been no achievement for the Israeli team. At the pre-match meeting, Dovid told the players, 'Let's do good for the residents of the State of Israel, which is going through a difficult time. I resembled my goal, and we paved the way for Canada, where we lost in the quarterfinals 4: 1 to Brazil. "

"I ended a contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv. I received a good offer from Hapoel Lod by coach Dror Kashtan, at the end of which they won the State Cup 1983/84. I was with my wife on vacation in Monte Carlo, and during water skiing I tore a tendon in my leg. A thousand dollars in signing fees, I gave up an excellent contract. I had surgery with Dr. Fouad Nissim and then retired from football. "

" I am with Maccabi Tel Aviv because I spent the most beautiful hours there. I am in contact with the speaker, Ofer Ronen, and all my requests are answered in the affirmative. "