The No. 1 man on the field in the derby was undoubtedly Avi Rikan.
The veteran midfielder, who is not really counted this season, provided a great performance with a pair and cooking
in Maccabi Tel Aviv's 0-5 win over Hapoel Tel Aviv,
and may have sent a message to the club's professional manager, Barak Yitzhaki, that he should not give up for next season. .
"I told the players in the locker room before the game - these are games that will be remembered for a lifetime and we get to be there," Riken said. There are moments like that - so I enjoy them. "
Did you deserve to play more this season?
"I think I deserved it. I worked hard, and even when I played the numbers proved themselves. I'm less 'sexy' in my game, so the first impression is always hard. I always got the support of the professional team and I had conversations with the coach. I know how to express myself in goals. "And cooking even when I am less good or less dominant. I will continue to work hard and I will be happy to play as much as possible until the end of the season."
Riken added: "I know my contribution is great even when I'm not playing. It's no secret that I'm significant in the locker room. "
Did you start inaugurating Oscar Gluch?
"This is the first time in my career that I see a player from the youth who suddenly gets four games in the senior team and three more very difficult games with Maccabi Haifa and twice against Beer Sheva. He had two less good games against BS but when you know you have backing from the professional team you continue So you can take more risks.
I had a lot of conversations, even on the morning of the derby I asked Ofir Haim, his coach on the youth team, to talk to him and help him express himself.
"Oscar is very young, he has a lot of hard work to do, but he will have a beautiful and successful career and if I can help I would love to do that."
How did you manage to rise like this after the relegation in the cup?
"It was not easy to get out of a very difficult week and give such a show, but it is also our strength as a club. There are people here who had to pick themselves up and they did it."
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