Muhammad Abu Fani: "The dream is to play in the Champions League" | Israel today

Immediately after the game in which Maccabi Haifa lost to Maccabi Tel Aviv (3: 1) yesterday, Muhammad Abu Fani took the microphone, stood in front of the stands and told them: "We took a championship, let's celebrate." He did not stop there. The celebrations continued in Sefer Square That in the center of the Carmel, and also the name of the midfielder, who grew up in the club, won over the joy and danced thousands of fans around him, despite the strange feeling of losing to the sworn rival and winning the title at the same time.

"It was important for me and the players to be happy," Abu Fani told Israel Today in an interview. "We took a title that all the teams are fighting for and want. "Forget it. Some people think it's obvious to win a championship, but it really is not."

Conducted the celebration, Photo: Alan Schieber

On the other hand, you play for Maccabi Haifa.

Championship there should not be taken for granted?

"I grew up in a club and I know what his requirements are - to win every possible title. We went through ten difficult years of failures, so celebrating two championships is very important after such a period."

Familiar with the club, Photo: Danny Maron

When did you know it's yours?

"Immediately after the 2: 3 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv at home.

We went into the locker room and just knew.

We were in second place, but we knew we were going to fight to the end.

The victory over BS, when I scored a goal there, was also a milestone, because we opened a gap at a critical stage of the season. From here we realized that it is possible to celebrate before the last round.

There is a picture of you as a children's player at Maccabi Haifa, standing with the players in the Champions League game against Bayern Munich.

Will you close the circle next season?

"I was 11 years old, in children's A, and this was the club's last championship. Some of the players wanted to come up with the Bayern players, but I preferred to come up with Haifa players. We dreamed of playing with these players sometime. Raj Stadium was blown up.

Ofri Arad and Roi Fox were also with us in this game and came up with the players, as did Rotem Hatuel from Hapoel B'Shlosha.

Clearly the dream is to play in the Champions League next season.

The Europa League will also be an achievement, but first of all aim to take all the titles in the country, ending a season with four titles, including a home stage of the Conference League.

This achievement is what leads you as an actor.

"First to be in the seniors of Maccabi Haifa, then to be a car player, then in the national team, to win the championship and then maybe a dream come true - the Champions League or the European League."

Wants to take degrees, Photo: Maor Elkelsi

"I'm a winner and want to take degrees"

This season started off badly for Abu Fani.

An explosion in negotiations with Maccabi Haifa, which sent him to the stands before the game against Feyenoord in the home stage of the Conference League.

He now reveals what happened behind the scenes, until he signed a new contract.

"At that time I was under pressure. I did not know what would happen to me, I said there was no chance I would be in the stands," he says candidly, pointing to the man who made the turnaround: "Barak Bachar helped me a lot with the contract. I compromised, but the club also went towards me. The night before Feyenoord Dudu Dahan came to me in Kafr Qara. We sat until four in the morning, and he said to me: 'This is, you are closed at Maccabi Haifa, you sign and will be on the roster.' I could not sleep that night. I said to myself, 'How will it close in two hours, if it lasts three months of negotiations?'

"The next day at 12:00 I arrived at the offices, and I signed. From there I flew to the meeting and I see my name in the lineup."

Four days later, against Maccabi Tel Aviv, you were injured for the first time in your career in a difficult way. What happened to you?

"The injury stopped me a bit.

I also believe in the evil eye, and injuries are a lot of luck.

It's not a tackle or a player injury, it all happened while running.

Maybe because of all the preparation a few days earlier, the nerves, probably everything was affected.

It was my toughest moment of the season.

You feel like everything is falling apart and afraid of sitting in a house for a year.

Then you hear curses like 'Abu Fani is dead', and the whole world falls on you.

I was afraid of a cross injury and that all plans would go to waste.

I was thinking of a good season and going out to Europe, and did not sleep all night.

I had an MRI and was told it was from an external meniscus, and it suddenly lifted me up. "

You talked about Bachar earlier.

He's had five championships in the last seven years, what makes him what he is?

"Barak is a great coach, taking five championships in seven years is not normal. He manages to keep us all in tension. You train and do not know who is good or who is in the team. The face is the same. You are constantly in tension and want to show him and hear from him. True, but Barak is like a manager you wait to please all the time. "

What's your biggest moment this season?

"There were two. The goal against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Champions League and the corner when I kept the ball in the same 2: 3 against Maccabi Tel Aviv. This whole game was crazy. "You shouted in the locker room and Barak calmed down: 'Give the first one and move on.'

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Is there a chance you will go to Europe in the summer?

"I want to fulfill a dream, but it will not be at any cost. I will not go to a team less good than Maccabi Haifa. I will only go to a big club where I can advance. Whether I go or not, I won championships at Maccabi Haifa and fulfilled a dream. I left something for the club I grew up in, I gave it back to him, and that's important to me. "

"The word of a holy father"

The Abu Fani family is the largest in Kafr Qara.

Father Sami and mother Amna accompanied Muhammad from the first moment in the children of Maccabi Haifa until the adults.

Sammy is not only the "father of", but also the best actor who grew up in Kafr Qara, until he came to us.

After a career at Hapoel Taibe and others, he was a scout at Maccabi Haifa, whose job was to discover talent in the Arab sector.

"I have great respect for him," says Muhammad, "no matter what I want, his word is sacred. He was very involved in negotiations with Maccabi Haifa, and he is the one who helped me bridge the gaps. He is a dominant figure, and of course my mother, who comes For every game. I'll find out a secret here: My parents do not sit on the same side of the stadium. My father sits in the podium and my mother at the other end of the stadium, because she does not spare words about the players, including me. far away".

Dad has a part in my stay,

In conclusion, you have one more game against Hapoel BS in the Cup final. Will you finish a season with four titles?

"BS has a very aggressive and determined team. They also want to beat us, and every game against us in the league is about six points. "In the league twice, at home and away, so there is always competition between us. We took them the championship and the Toto Cup, so I expect an aggressive game in the cup final as well, in the hope that we will win there as well."

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