Avraham Levy: "I hope that in the days of my life I will enjoy Betar Jerusalem again"

The mythical manager of the yellow-blacks shared in an interview about his struggle in Corona ("I know they prayed for me, and it helped") addressed the current uncertainty around the group ("need a husband without interest") and also provided a spicy detail about Yossi Aboksis' surprise departure 21 years ago

Ophir Saar

05/05/2022

Thursday, 05 May 2022, 10:00

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Summary: Betar Jerusalem - Maccabi Petah Tikva 2: 2 (Sport 1)

May 87, Betar Jerusalem wins its first and historic championship after a 2-0 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv in Bloomfield. The game was held on the eve of Remembrance Day. The locker room. Some of them do not respond. He tells them: "People have died so you can play football here and celebrate.

Come by, we will celebrate after Remembrance Day. "

It is no coincidence that the interview with Avraham Levy was held on the eve of Remembrance Day and is coming up independently.

Last January, he found himself in a situation where he fought for his life following the Corona virus - and won the battle.

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A connection of love to the state and to Betar Jerusalem. Avraham Levy (Photo: Maariv, Adi Avishai)

Levy recounts what happened towards the end of January: "I felt unwell for a few days, did a corona test and came out positive. I was convinced it would pass, I stayed home for a few days and stayed away from everyone too so as not to endanger anyone. I did not believe it could catch me so hard "After three vaccinations, I just planned on Sunday that after going to do the fourth vaccination, I was calm. But the situation changed, I slowly felt worse and realized I had to go to the hospital."

"At this stage no. I was hospitalized for about a week in Hadassah Ein Kerem in the corona ward, after the condition worsened she informed me and my family that in such a situation no risk is taken and I should be put to sleep and feminized. I will not lie and say it was scary and stressful. "The moment is between the thought that I might not get out of it and the fact that I must be back and fighting, first and foremost for my family. It must be strong for them."

"The head and the heart at that moment are between the thought that I might not get out of it and that I must be back and fighting."

Levy (Photo: Courtesy of the photographers, Shmulik Levy)

When he woke up he thought he had been anesthetized for only three days.

Avraham Levy and his son Shmulik (Photo: Courtesy of the photographers, Shmulik Levy)

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For 11 days Levy was anesthetized and respirated: "I know thousands of people prayed for me and it helped, sometimes through moments like this a person understands what way he has done in life. That no one calls and is interested in you It only looks like football, but it is a way of life in which I knew, helped and connected with so many people. "

Call from all corners of the country and the world.

Robbie Rivlin took care of Shlomi every day, Eli Cohen the sheriff, Dror Kashtan.

Call from Canada, Los Angeles, Europe.

Past players from 50 years ago like Avi Sasson and of course all those you know like Eli Ohana, Uri Melmillian, Udi Robovich, Shlomo Shirzi, David Amsalem, Artzi Ben Yaakov who also went through Korona - and many more who remembered.

It really moved and strengthened me.

is very.

Let me understand that I have done good to the people in my life.

More than a thousand players, coaches and people have been with me for 40 years in football. "

When he woke up, his son Shmulik asked him if he knew how many days he had been anesthetized and respirated and he estimated that three.

When he heard that it was a double-digit number, he was shocked to hear: "I did not understand, I was in the market. "I have a big wound on my chin as a result of those days that have not healed yet, and physically I need to keep getting stronger to get back to the same situation. It's not easy."

"Yossi wanted to continue at Betar, we did not want him to continue." Yossi Aboksis as a Betar Jerusalem player (Photo: Maariv, Adi Avishai)

Shmulik told him that his friend Yossi Mizrahi is no longer Betar's coach and the one who replaced him is Yossi Aboksis, who has also remained close to Avraham throughout the years since he left Betar: "It was a good decision. I always told Yossi Mizrahi that he did not need it and more importantly "Of everything that will take care of health. The fact that Aboksis has returned to close the circle for more than 20 years is excellent. Both because he is the best coach for Betar and also because it was important that he get that hug from Betar back."

"People do not even know that Yossi wanted to continue in Betar, we did not want him to continue.

People do not know the truth.

Aboksis wanted to continue and loved Betar, she was his soul. He raised Betar on a level.

One of the best players who played for us, was in the top position of the great players who grew up in the club.

Financially we thought he did his and his money we preferred to take to other players.

He really wanted to keep going and the crowd thought he wanted to leave.

He had to move on, he grew up in Hapoel Tel Aviv, they paid him what he asked for and he did what was right for him.

"He did not betray Betar. All these years he talked to me about Betar and the desire to return to Betar and train it. He is a soul, people just do not know him."

"On the one hand there are problems but on the other hand there is a new connection. Ohana there, Yossi Aboksis is back, it makes people connect. I'm glad Yossi did a good job and the fans came back and there is a good atmosphere. The crowd has been exceptional in recent weeks and supportive, that's very important. To you that it is not so difficult to bring Betar back to its greatness and the Jerusalem audience.

You also do not need so much money, you need someone without interest to come, to build a good team for the Jerusalem audience and the audience all over the country, to know how to maintain a good youth department and retain local players and not throw them away as they did. "In Jerusalem, that's how you connect. They made mistakes that released players like Einbinder, Keltins, Kahila, we never released home players, we knew the importance. Even though they are a little less good, we knew the meaning and the connection."

"Celebrating not in Betar from the love of Mordechai, he wanted to be in Be'er Sheva and enter 50 percent with Alona Barkat but it did not work out.

The one who jumped on Betar and thought that through it he would get publicity and it would help him he failed at it. He threw money and did not understand what is right for Betar, the modesty and connection to the spirit and Jerusalem are above all in Betar ".

"No one knows how high the debts are ... one says 20 million and one 60."

Betar fans protest against owner Moshe Hogg (Photo: Berni Ardov)

Will Aboksis wait for Betar?

"Yossi will wait, he will continue with Betar. I am convinced that this is what he wants most and he has patience. If Betar goes into liquidation and starts with minus 12, it is very bad.

The problem is that no one really knows how many debts and what will be revealed they will do tests, one says 20 million and one 60, if it is in too high amounts it will go into liquidation and all debts will be canceled, there will be no choice but Betar will deal with it. I think Yossi Aboksis should To stay in Betar in any situation, it will be a difficult year and he is the man to hold it in the coming years on the lines, he has everything he needs to withstand this pressure. "

"In my time there were no such things. There were curses but not beyond. I wanted to bring an Arab to Betar and there were no such things.

We tried Ali Osman, even Rafat Turk sat at my house, we talked and we were in negotiations. Arab players also played in the youth and I was never against. Sport is a sport, it should not be linked to politics. I am sure it will slowly be behind Betar Jerusalem "

"There was no need for lawyers in front of the judge then. The judges were already my friends. They were considerate, did not treat me as a group CEO.

The judge would say to me 'Abram leave do not speak, I know what to write'.

Would give on probation, small sums.

Consider me because I was a week yes a week no.

They realized it was not easy.

To date they have not found appropriate penalties that will not harm the team.

What punishment will they give that will influence the audience to behave differently.

It is impossible for the team to be punished every day with a closed Mizrahi stand, a radius, without a crowd, it destroys football.

"By the way, Radius is not a penalty at all. We took a championship at Bloomfield. It went well for us because we had technical players who were reflected there. Uri Melmillian once told me that if he had played Teddy and not YMCA his level would have increased 40 times. "A in the mud was difficult to play, a good and technical player has nothing like good grass and a part where you can play quality football."

"I hope that in my day I will also enjoy Betar again." Levy (Photo: Official website, Jerusalem Municipality)

From the height of your age, how do you see the situation in the country?

"Very difficult, very difficult. I do not believe in things that are happening here. 40 years ago if you asked me what would be I would not dream of the current situation. Our country is half-half-half-right and half-left and Arabs and it is difficult to run a country like this, once there is no You have a real majority, it is impossible to run a country, Bennett surrenders to the RAAM and to everyone, everyone he needs puts him in difficult conditions and he wants to survive, this leads to situations like on the Temple Mount or in every corner of the country.

Bennett himself does not believe he was the Likud defense minister, he spoke differently then and he was firm, I was all my life convinced that whoever replaces Netanyahu in the Likud would be Bennett, but he changed his skin, he is in a trap because he has no way to manage it, he is bound ".

"Wow, I was very excited. It's not simple because I did not expect such support. Those who received with me were people who really gave - professors, the director of Shaare Zedek Hospital, very respectable people, and I was among them from the direction of sports.

I was very excited about the recognition.

I think we have an outstanding mayor.

He takes care of the city and the residents in every corner. "

" I hope that in my time we will see better times for the country.

I want to send a message to the people of Israel to unite, to continue to be together and to stop the quarrels.

There is always hope for peace, we should always have hope.

In addition, I hope that in my day I will also enjoy Betar again. I call on the fans to be together, to unite around the team. They are its greatest strength and it is possible to return it to its place first and foremost thanks to them and their support. If it takes a year or two, "he said.

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• Beitar Jerusalem