"The years in Israel were the most beautiful years of my life. I remember every goal, every moment. You can not forget. People ask me, 'You played in so many places in Europe, why Israel?'. Because in Israel I learned that playing in front of a full stadium and scoring a goal is a feeling. "That no money can buy you. The Hungarians can not understand it because they have never had the same atmosphere."
At the age of 55, Gabor Merton, who played for Hapoel Petah Tikva, Hapoel Kfar Saba, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Rishon LeZion at the end of the 20th century, is currently the coach of MTK Budapest, the "Jewish" team of Budapest. Who brought him in last month to keep her in the first division for another season - a task that Merton will likely face.
In an interview with "Israel Today", Merton says that since he left Israel 22 years ago, he did not return: "I do not understand how it happened. I remember some Hebrew and I was happy to show my family that the country that was beautiful then is even much more beautiful today." .
In March this year, Merton will have the opportunity to visit the country.
For the past two years, I have been working on an exhibition that tells the story of Hungary-Israel relations in the light of sports, and is divided into a historical part and a modern part.
In the second part, I chose to present the story of local legends like Istvan Fishont, Stefan Shalevi, Gabor Holami, Gabor Merton and more.
Last week, at a press conference on the opening of the "Two Game" exhibition, which will air simultaneously in Israel and Hungary, all the stars have met since then.
"Do you know how happy I was? I finally had the opportunity to show everyone how much they loved us in Israel, what stars we were," says Merton. Ramat Gan is full, I realized the power of an audience.
"Players have spent entire careers in Hungary without feeling it. Look today at what is happening in Corona. I feel sorry for football players who will spend years of their careers in front of glorious and empty stadiums."
Memories from the stable
His first stop in Israeli football was at Hapoel Kfar Saba: "Shlomo Sharaf approached me after the last game ever between the national teams, and asked me to come for an impression week.
I can tell today for the first time that two years before I arrived in Israel I received an offer from Tal Benin who played with me in Cannes to come to Hapoel Haifa.
He told me that there is a man named Ruby Shapira who invests a lot of money.
But we saw news and my ex-wife was scared.
I was stupid, I could have arrived earlier. "
I tell Merton that in all the teams he played for he became an idol, and is considered to this day one of the favorite strangers among the fans of them all.
Including children who did not see the same game at all, but only heard stories.
"I do not want to be flattered because I have long since retired, even though I played football in the second division until the age of 41, but when I came to Kfar Saba, Hapoel Petah Tikva or Hapoel Tel Aviv - I realized that in these places you have to play for the crowd.
And I'm glad to find out that they understood it and knew how to appreciate it.
The coaches were less important to me than the crowd.
"If I have to choose my three most beautiful goals, then I will choose a goal against Betar Jerusalem in the Hapoel Petah Tikva uniform, a goal in an exercise from the foundation against Maccabi Haifa away, and the third goal is the one I jumped over Obarov in the Tel Aviv derby in Ramat Gan. If you want to see these exiles in the video. "
Merton (second from left) and all the legends in the opening of the exhibition "From Two Games",
"Klinger? Need to stay"
Merton monitors football in Israel.
He knows that some of his former teams play in the second division, and that Nir Klinger's condition at Hapoel is not good.
He even heard about the case of the lines that lost their flags.
"I do not think Klinger should be fired. A coach is not only measured in a cup or a championship, but unfortunately we are judged that way. You can bring up players from the youth and it will not interest anyone," says Merton, declaring that "if you look for a coach in Israel, I take the suitcase "This is my second home. In life you can lose everything: your money, your car, your wife, your career. But the great memories and moments from your career no one will be able to take from you, and these moments from Israel will always be mine."
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