Eran Zehavi: "Maccabi Tel Aviv gave me a lot, maybe I will go back there"

Two days before hosting the Yellows in the Conference League, the star said in an interview: "If I was just thinking about myself I would leave PSV in January because I got an offer from a great club. If I score on Thursday, I will not celebrate."

Walla!

sport

15/02/2022

Tuesday, 15 February 2022, 19:06

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Summary: Vitsa - PSV Eindhoven 5: 0 (Sport 1)

Eran Zehavi has not played against Maccabi Tel Aviv since wearing the Hapoel Tel Aviv uniform in the 2010/11 season, but it happens on Thursday.

After becoming the club's biggest star in the last decade, he led the Yellows to win all the titles and also the Champions League, in about 48 hours he and PSV Eindhoven will host Maccabi Tel Aviv in the playoffs for the right to qualify for the eighth finals of the Conference League (19:45 , Sports 3).

In an interview with PSV's official website ahead of the game, he said what he was going through ahead of the meeting against "The team in which he developed as a player", he said, Stay in the Netherlands until the end of the season, despite offers he received in January.

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Satisfied with the decision to stay, but in the summer he will leave.

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"The injury was not an easy moment because there were a lot of opinions about the injury," he said at first, "I made a decision the way I think it should be dealt with. It was different from opinions I received. "Not in such an important game or anything. I did not get into some crazy tackle, I was injured myself. Injuries happen, but what matters is that I came back and I play well. That's it. It's never a good time to get injured, but the most important thing is how you come back."

On the decision to stay in the Netherlands for another half year despite another break-in to his home, he said: "I did everything to get back as soon as possible. For the first two weeks I was here in the Netherlands and then I decided to travel and it was not an easy decision. The children were not at school. Every day from Amsterdam. My fitness coach was with me and he knows me well. At my age I have to do the best for myself and for the club. When I do my best it's also for the club. The mental side is very important in football. If you are not worried, you can be Concentrated on football. "

On the rumors: "There were two offers and I discussed with the club, we thought and decided at the end that I will stay until the end of the season. We have a lot of respect. It is legitimate that sometimes teams want you, but I made that decision. I got an offer from a great club. "It's over at the end of the season. If I only thought about myself I would have left."

Zehavi commented on the decision to stay and added: "The decision to stay is good because the club is happy with me and I from him. It is important to continue what we started, maybe take a championship at the end of the season and then see what happens. My family is always with me and supports me. "It's acclimatizing there again and it's not an easy decision. My family was not comfortable in the first weeks, but we are a strong family and get used to everything."

On his position in the team and his role: "In football there are always changes. I'm not worried about what will happen. It's part of my career. I will do my best in every training, as I always did and then it's the coach's decision. The team has changed in recent months and they played well I'll just be the best I can and in the end the decision is the coach's. I can bring my quality as I always did. I work with the team and if I score goals and I'm dangerous in the attacking area it's my quality. "Tactically, in terms of occupation and everything."

"Obviously the team is strong. It's a good thing in a team that anyone can play and play well, it's the truth. My decision to stay is because of the desire to win the title. We got a taste of a title at the beginning of the season ".

"There will be an interesting meeting, special moments for me" (Photo: GettyImages, Perry van de Leuvert / BSR Agency)

On Roger Schmidt: "It was strange to me that he announced he would leave at the end of the season, this is the first time this has happened to me in my career. It is usually kept quiet until the end of the season. I wonder how it will affect us. On the part. For me it does not matter, I always continue the same thing. I never played for a coach. You play for yourself, for your teammates. There was talk in the team about leaving, but everything is fine. I understand the decision. If both sides agreed, I do not see any problem with that. "

About himself and the meeting with Maccabi Tel Aviv: "It will be an interesting meeting, special moments for me. I did not think in my worst dreams that I would play against Maccabi, but it will be special, also to return to Israel to play will be interesting. When I play at PSV there must be professionals And do everything to be the best you can do. I hope everyone understands this. The most important thing is to maintain professionalism and be loyal to the club. I will not celebrate if I win against Maccabi Tel Aviv. It is a good team with a lot of experience in these competitions. There will be no easy game for us , Especially not in Israel. There is a warm atmosphere in Israel. It is clearly up to us and the result here will be very significant, but there will be a close game.

The best memories and moments in my career in Israel were in Maccabi Tel Aviv.

My best experience at Maccabi Tel Aviv, where I grew up as a player.

Maybe I'll be back there one day.

I had a very successful time at Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The difference is that Maccabi is the biggest club in Israel with the most titles and Hapoel is also a good club, I grew up there and played there, we reached the Champions League and scored the championship goal there in the last second of the season.

I had great moments there.

But at Maccabi I became the best player I could become in Israel.

Maccabi gave me a lot. "

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