A few weeks ago, just before dinner with the heads of the German national team, ahead of the friendly match between the national teams, the chairman of the Football Association, Oren Hasson, found himself trying to convince Yossi Benyon - the man he chose to bring the Israeli national team to a major tournament for the first time since 1970. On a suit.
"I'm not a man of suits and offices, but of work and football," Benyon says early in the morning, in his humble office in the Shefayim team house, wearing a polo shirt and jeans.
The ball he loved so much is now being replaced by an open door and a modest office with a computer, two cell phones and another landline.
Not even an espresso machine is here, but for him you don't need more than that.
The man who has been on the pitch all his life, played for luxury clubs such as Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, scored a crucial goal in the Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid in the Champions League and scored every possible goal in his career - hung up his shoes three years ago, and now is the professional dream The team that Media has worn 102 times during his career, and to which he is trying to bring something different.
"I never dreamed of being the greatest player," Benyon admits in an exclusive interview with Shishvat.
"I dreamed of succeeding, fulfilling myself and presenting my abilities at the highest levels, and I fulfilled above and beyond, but all this time I did not think what would happen after my career. ".
What is the chance that Yossi, the professional manager, will do what the player Yossi failed to do, and promote Israel to the European Championship, or even to the World Cup?
"I do not agree with this statement fundamentally. True, for the public to succeed is to go up to a big tournament, and it is true that for many years we did not, but we did manage to be in the picture in some tournaments. We brought a lot of respect and the pitches were full. third.
"As a player I would come from abroad, and there was excitement around the team's games, so first and foremost I want it to come back. Beyond that, in some campaigns we did succeed and in other campaigns less so."
For us it is black or white. We have to go to the tournament or not, success or failure, there is no middle ground.
"Whoever wants to test according to promotion. I will do my best to make the team look good and the audience will connect with it again. If I see that even after a loss what the team does is respected - it is a success. Of course if it connects to promotion to a big tournament The way. "
Maybe the lack of connection to the audience is that in the past players like you would come to the team injured, and not give up the shirt or another show, and today it is not so? Feels like there are players who give up in advance for a vacation or a photo on Instagram.
"I always put the team first. When I played for Liverpool I had a big story there. There was a team game, and I was told 'if you go, you'll not play here anymore.' I said okay, and I went. .
"I think this is how every player who belongs to the Israeli team should behave. This is one of the main things we emphasize. I told the players at a meeting in Germany: 'The results are not interesting, I want players who are committed to the team. "
On the other hand, in recent friendly matches you have gone towards players who play in Europe, for example Eran Zehavi or Sean Weissman, and you preferred to allow them to stay in their teams.
"We are not sealed. It was a friendly game and Eran came back from a long injury, so we considered him in terms of loads. Obviously if a player tells me before Iceland in the League of Nations that he is a bit cold or has a holiday, he will not be here. Only people who want to be on the team They will play. "
"They approached me a lot"
Benyon recently made one of his first significant decisions in the role, when he appointed Alon Hazan as the national team coach.
In the process of choosing the coach, he flew abroad and met foreign coaches, but in the end he chose the coach of the young team, Hazan.
"I met with some coaches. They said that with Spaniards, but not only. There were other countries," he says.
"I told everyone in advance that they are among my last candidates. Not everyone can have a professional manager with weight in decisions. I wanted to see everyone's philosophy, how he sees young people's promotion, method and so on.
"People say there was an economic consideration here, but I reached economic agreements with foreign coaches as well. In the end I went with my truth, and that is that I can be more successful with Alon Hazan than with other coaches. It is a fact that there was a consensus about it. "For him, after advancing all the years in the national team. You have to know how to promote one who made a way from the boys, the youth and the young team, and was also an assistant coach in the seniors. First of all, Alon is a good person and an excellent professional."
What is the moment in the conversation with him where you realized you were choosing him?
"We were in the same mind in everything, in just about every issue. Sometimes I thought to myself that it was excessive, as if they had prepared us for a conversation. I kept it until the last minute, and did not know my decision. I submitted the analysis to Oren Hasson and the locating committee. In my stomach, I have to go with Alon. "
"There was a consensus about it."
Alon Hazan with the national team players after the victory over Austria in March 2019, Photo: Alan Shiber
Your favorite Israeli coach, it's no secret, is Roni Levy. You are aware that after five minutes from the moment of your appointment as a professional manager on the team, you were already confident that you would appoint him to the position.
"Five minutes? I heard it after a minute. First of all, I had the privilege of being with Roni Levy at Maccabi Haifa as a player and at Betar as a professional manager, when he was a coach.
Ronny is one of the best coaches out there.
For some reason, there are those who are bothered by me saying these things about him. "
Do you think that if you were from her it would not have passed part in the media?
"First of all, I do not make decisions based on what they say, but only on the basis of my professional honesty. Besides, I do not know why Roni was given a certain image that is not really him. We must get to know Roni Levy better. He has been in football for many years, but not really. I know him. There is a huge gap between the image they painted and Roni the man, and that's something he also needs to work on more. .
"At this point in time it was not right for me or him to work together in the team, but that does not rule out what I think of him. Yossi Aboksis is also an excellent coach, and Ran Ben Shimon and Roni Levy are also on the list, but in the end I had to go with my truth. "With a lot of vision for the future. Again, all this does not hurt what I think of Roni Levy. I wish I would work with him again in the future."
Eyal Berkowitz called you and wanted to coach the team?
"I progressed with coaches, and then a mutual friend called and told me that he thought I should appoint Eyal. I said that I very much respect Eyal, but I have already progressed with other coaches. A great player. We were always in a good relationship. Eyal also called me, I explained the situation to him, and of course he said that he really likes the team. Eyal is today in a completely different niche, I do not know how many years he has been on TV.
"A lot of coaches, Israelis and foreigners, approached me, sent messages. I respected everyone, including Eyal, and told everyone that I had progressed with other coaches. It all ended in a dignified and beautiful way, and not like people try to paint. We have a good relationship, and for me they will stay that way."
"Respects him."
Eyal Berkowitz,
The team is loaded with veteran players. Eran Zehavi is not a child, Beavers were cut, almost all defensive players. What is the chance that we will see a generational change already in the upcoming campaign?
"My approach and that of coach Alon Hazan is that whoever is good will play. We burn players at the age of 32, but if there is a 35-year-old player and he is good - he will play. Eran Zehavi is an excellent example. The same goes for a young player. If he is 20 and professionally fit then "There is no question here at all, and even if he is 17, I will play. There is no fear here, and I am not interested in age."
Speaking of gold, how much does the team depend on him if she wants to do something really big? Maybe the dependence is too great?
"I do not believe in these sentences. Ali also said that at the time. Eran is a very significant player in the team, and rightly so, and he contributes to the locker room and Israeli football in general, but the team has never been or will be dependent on one player. No matter if it is Eran, I Eyal Berkowitz, Haim Revivo, Moshe Sinai, Eli Ohana or even Motla Spiegler. It can not work. That's why it's called 'team'.
"Only if everyone contributes, will the team succeed. Take for example Andy Herzog's campaign. Eran Zehavi gave above and beyond and scored a lot of goals, but where did the team finish? Of course we need Eran, and he must contribute his goals, otherwise we will have a very hard time, But we really need everyone. "
He is now at the crossroads where you were at the time, returning to Israel or staying abroad. What do you recommend to him?
"Eran Goller is amazingly fun to watch in every league he plays in, but now he has to do what's good for him. I wish he could keep playing football without thinking about what they'll say, and just do what's good for him and his family, like I did. "They said to the country, 'He is an adult, he needs to retire,' and when I retired at the age of 39, they said, 'He runs, he can contribute.'
"There will be a new way"
The building has many salient character traits, and two of them are combined together: tenacity and sincerity.
On the one hand, he insists on not talking about politics, and on the other hand, his sincerity leads him to address the facts, which are that in recent years the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has also entered the locker room of the Israeli team.
Thus, for example, the pioneer Moanes Dabour posted a post during Operation The Guardian of the Walls, in which he wrote: "God will reckon with the sons of injustice."
Later, senior actors like Eran Zehavi and Sean Weissman demanded the death penalty for the terrorists.
Internal conversations of players were leaked from the team's WhatsApp group, from which their golden hair emerged.
The discourse in the group of players naturally also ignited the discourse in the media, and all this is now at the doorstep of Benyon and Alon Hazan.
"For many years, including those in which I played, there was no politics on the team," says Yossi.
"In recent years, it seems that politics has entered, and it is not affecting the audience and some of the players. Now there will be a new way, mine and Alon's, and everyone will understand from the first moment that there is a different order. Our rules. And football. "
You were in the national team game against Romania. Dabour scored a double, and yet suffered boos. How can this be continued?
"I was not here when this matter started. There are unpleasant things in football, and we will do everything to prevent it. I have an important goal, which is to connect the crowd to the team and the players, and here it should happen. I can not yet detail what I do, but soon you will see .
"Moanes has proven himself to be an excellent player professionally, and we must do everything to have a cohesive staff of people here who want to represent the State of Israel. We are not opaque to what is happening around, but want to influence where possible, not where impossible. We all want peace and life. "Properly, but we can only influence the team, and here they will not engage in politics and there will be a healthy locker room. Whoever enters politics, probably his place is not in the team."
What happened in the WhatsApp group is not national team politics?
"You do not know exactly what happened. The players had good intentions, and this leak bothered them the most. There is a separation between politics and terrorist attacks. There is no person who does not condemn terrorist attacks. Believe me, I am calm about this. Politics will not enter the team, I have no doubt about it. "But a separation must be made. To condemn an attack is not to enter politics, but the alphabet of every person. Who wants people killed? My job is not to run the country, but to run the team professionally."
But every such event also entails real politicians, such as those sitting in the Knesset, to ride the story. Itamar Ben Gvir came to the team game, Miri Regev, other Knesset members, everything is connected to each other.
"Let the politicians get involved in politics, they have enough problems of their own. Let them not get involved in football. At every opportunity, not just in sports, people jump because they want to be famous or make noise and ringtones. That the politicians do not interfere in football, , And then his place is not here. I was in England, and there no one tweeted, and in Spain no one encountered politics. 12 years abroad I did not even experience racism.
There was one friendly match in Malaysia, and there they whistled at me because I was Jewish.
It was a marginal event.
"You know what made me feel most proud when I played abroad?
When I would score and after that in the news they would say 'Israeli connection'.
After the goal I scored with Liverpool against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, it was said on all channels in England.
"A player who feels that it is not a great pride for him to represent the team, or even a half-clutch, not one hundred percent, these are things that will hurt the team, and that player will not be here."
Noble Omar has a place for you in the Israeli team?
"I like less to treat the players individually. Every player has the same chance to be on the team, even Omar Azili. A clean page, even for a noble Omar. "
"I always put the team first."
In the national uniform, Photo: Moshe Shai
"Family is quiet"
Benyon (42) is married to Mirit, with whom he has been in a relationship since the days he studied at Lehman High School in Dimona.
"Two days ago we celebrated 20 years of marriage," he boasts, "and in total we are 27 years together. I remember all our dates and where it all started."
The two have been through a lot together since childhood in Dimona, and the friendship began at the age of 15. Their first media exposure was already at the age of 16, a pair of boys who went out together to Amsterdam to try to develop a European career at the Dutch luxury club Ajax.
Today, in 2022, it sounds almost fictional that a 16-year-old girl will go out with her partner to conquer his personal dream.
In retrospect, perhaps this is what tightened the bond between them, making them inseparable.
Ilana Dayan then accompanied the two on their journey, but since then Mirit has preferred to stay behind the scenes.
"If Mirit walks down the street, I think no one will recognize her," Yossi admits with a smile.
"Family is one side and football is another side. You will not see her interviews, and turned to her quite a bit. I told her that if she wants - have fun, but she said 'publicity is you, leave me alone.' Our family is our quiet. There are those who like The publicity, it is less. "
What percentage of what you have achieved in your career do you attribute to her?
"How much? It's just because of her. We grew up on it together from the age of 15. We went out together to Ajax at the age of 16 and Spain at the age of 22, and built our family on the road. Thank God, we have five children, and if I did not have someone supportive and strong. Mirit is the best thing that ever happened to me in my life.
"Today, after five years of school, she is going to be a nurse. In the days she studies from morning to afternoon I of course help with the children, and this will also happen when she starts hospital shifts in September. In recent years I am much more with the children, taking, returning, going For classes and does everything for fun.
"It's a bit stressful to suddenly realize you're 27 years old with your biggest love. Feels a little like everything's running away from us too fast. We're best friends, never hiding anything from each other in life. When washing is hard for me, I go home to Mirit and the kids "I understand what is important in life. They are more important than any crisis related to football."
Today the waiver is yours for the sake of Mirit's career?
"There is no such thing as' mine 'or' hers', there is' ours'. She started studying in Spain, then we moved to England and she told me 'leave, let's fulfill our dream', emphasizing 'ours',' in football, and when you'm done it all "I will continue." She thinks that I'm successful is ours, and she's so right. In terms of character we have not changed. A human being can not change his character.
You say you have not changed, but Yossi who grew up in Dimona is not the same Yossi of today, probably in terms of economic means and everything you went through along the way.
"But all this did not change me as a person. The fact that I have more money did not change me, except for the fact that there is more comfort in life. My children have more than I had as a child, but it does not matter because my education remains the same, which means work. "It's hard to be successful, to be good and polite children and to invest in studies. After all, they have more options. I can enroll them in more classes, and if they are football players you can give them more training, clothes, whatever it takes."
Writer, housework, errands - you or Mirit?
"Today the writer is invited home via the internet, and we do everything else together. If she puts the little one to sleep then I prepare lessons with the others, and vice versa. We talked about a 27-year relationship, without it how is it possible? I'm not one of those who had to sleep or something "I never slept in my life. Even when I played and traveled with the team I would sit in a room and watch TV. When the kids were babies I would quarrel with Mirit that I wanted to take them or be with them at night, and she would insist."
"I'm a demon"
When he talks about the children, one sees that the apples did not fall far from the tree.
Four of Mirit and Yossi's five children play football.
May (18), the debut, plays in the seniors of Ramat Hasharon.
Ben (15) also plays in Ramat Hasharon, as does Roy (11 and a half), who is a goalkeeper in Ramat Hasharon.
Eden (9 and a half) plays for Maccabi Petah Tikva, and even my little one, only 6 years old, has already signed up for a football club.
"Today the world is different, and parental education is very important," he explains.
"What to do, my kids grew up in a football home and they want to play, so four out of five football games, including the premiere May. I explain to them that whoever wants to be a football player has to sit, watch and learn football, and of course play at every opportunity - not PlayStation. With friends after school.
"Fortunately, even on holidays, my children like to go out and play football with their friends. Every day there is training, and if not - we do extra. Classes and everything you need. On the other hand, it all depends on a lot of things. First of all, we want to see good grades. And good behavior at school.In every certificate they receive we sit with them, trying to think where to improve and in what profession.
"We tell them 'if the grades are higher, you will get more', all so that they do not slip into the places of the lazy generation who sit at home all day with food in front of the TV. My eldest daughter, May, who plays in Ramat Hasharon, is about to enlist, and is a very smart student "
How many abysses are there between your childhood and what you see today as a father?
"In my time everything was different. There was only football. What did I have in Dimona? We did not even have money for the bus. For me, life was to finish school and go play football with friends. That's what I knew and did. After all, my parents insisted I be a good student. , And to my delight I also have a matriculation certificate, but I also invested in football.
"My dream was just to play football. There were kids who were interested in coming with nice clothes to class. I was not interested in anything. I was not interested in having no money and buying clothes from the market, because that's what they could buy me. I would not be ashamed, but go with them happy and happy. I enjoyed every moment. My family did everything for me. The little that was invested in my direction because they believed I would succeed. Now that I have succeeded, the great happiness is to give back to them. I have three more brothers, and Mirit is one of six brothers, so we help everyone as much as possible. The biggest fun. "
"My children have more than I had as a child, but education remains the same."
The Benyon family, photo: from the family album
Do you value your parents differently today, from the perspective of a father who knows how much the children need?
"From the first moment you succeed you digest and appreciate what they did for you to succeed. Suddenly all the investment pays off, and how lucky I was to become an actor. My dad would accompany me to every hitchhiking training, and if someone donated something small he would say 'maybe invest in a card, have a go' "Every little money that came in was invested in me, and I do not forget that."
During the conversation about his parents, Dudu and Zari, who still live in Dimona, something in Yossi's tone of voice and gaze changes.
His three brothers also live in the South, and for him each of them is a partner in success, as "they sometimes gave up things at home so that mine would be easier in football."
Put us in the Benyon family home. You told about the division between you and Mirit, how was it with your parents?
"My mother would take more care of the school side. One day she called me 'come on, Yossi, get up for school', and I hear my father say to her 'leave him, he has a workout at noon, let him rest today'. I got up quickly and said 'no Rest, all is well. ”Mom went to school, Dad to football, and I'm glad he ended up with both.
"There was one time when I was waiting with my dad for rides to Tel Aviv, for a championship game. There was no ride, and Dad started making calls to friends. Us, and I arrived at the field in Tel Aviv when the players were already after warming up and were about to leave the locker room.The coach ran to the referee and told him 'there is a change in form'.
"I went up like this, without heating, without anything, I gave a hat-trick and we took a championship. Do you understand what they did for me? There were times I lost training because there was no money to travel, but I loved football so much I did not give up, and happily went well in the end. The biggest fun is that the family is proud of you. "
You live in Ramat Hasharon today. Still feeling demonized?
"I'm a demon. It's a great pride, and always when asked I'm proud of it. Quite a few people came out, Didi Harari, Ofira Asaig and others, and I hear from people there that I inspired the children, and that if I got where I came from Dimona - others can too. To be, and gives me tremendous satisfaction in life. "
Returning to Liverpool
Today Benyon will once again take to the pitch at Manchester's Old Trafford Stadium to take part in a prestigious match between Liverpool veterans and Manchester United veterans, perhaps the two biggest clubs in England, in an event whose entire proceeds will be donated to children.
Alongside him will play stars such as Dirk Cout, Jerzy Dodek, Luis Garcia and others, who wore with him the red shirt of the "Merseysiders", and in the stands will sit his son, Ben, who will see his father on the grass.
"I felt great pride when they said 'the Israeli context'."
In the Liverpool uniform, Photo: EP
The game in England will take place a week and a half after another Benyon past team, Maccabi Haifa, was crowned national champion for the second time in a row.
It is interesting to hear what has happened to those who made their big years in the country in the green uniform, but left the team in less pleasant tones, to say about the new dynasty being built in Sami Ofer.
"מכבי חיפה הוא המועדון ששיחקתי בו הכי הרבה שנים בישראל", הוא אומר. "שיחקתי שם אולי את שש השנים הכי טובות שלי, ולמרות הסיום - ואין טעם לחזור ללמה זה קרה - סיימנו ביחסים טובים. מבחינתי מכבי חיפה היא יענקל'ה שחר, וגם כשסיימתי את דרכי שם המשכנו לשמור על קשר, והיו לנו כמה פגישות בשנים האחרונות, גם עם סגן נשיא המועדון עוזי מור. הכל באווירה טובה.
"לגבי הקהל, אני פוגש אוהדי מכבי חיפה על בסיס יומי, והם מפרגנים וזוכרים את הדברים הטובים. גם לגבי אלה שקיללו אותי, ו־50 או 100 איש שימשיכו לקלל, חלקם אפילו לא ראו או יודעים מה עשיתי בשביל מכבי חיפה. אני יודע בוודאות שרוב הקהל אוהב ומעריך אותי, גם אחרי שעזבתי".
שיחקת גם תחת אברם גרנט. יצא לך לראות את התחקיר על ההטרדות המיניות שנקשרו בשמו לכאורה?
"לא ראיתי את התחקיר על אברם, ואין לי מושג מה היה שם. שמעתי תגובות. אני מאוד אוהב את אברם, ומאחל לו שייצא מזה בצורה הכי טובה שיש. את העיסוק בזה אני משאיר לאנשים שמתעסקים בזה".
את פרשות משה חוגג בטוח ראית.
"עזבתי את בית"ר בזמן, לא?", הוא צוחק. "כשהייתי בבית"ר עשינו עונה מצוינת, סיימנו במקום השלישי וזכינו בגביע הטוטו. ברגע שהבנתי שדברים לא יתנהלו בדרך שאני רוצה החלטתי לקום וללכת, אבל שמרנו על קשר גם אחרי שעזבתי.
"האמת? לא ראיתי את זה קורה. לא היו סימנים מקדימים. אני לא חי איתו בבית, אבל במועדון הכל דפק כמו שעון. לא היה איחור אחד עם כסף. הייתי גם שחקן שם כמה חודשים, והכל עבד כמו שצריך. פרשתי בצורה הכי מדהימה בבית"ר, אבל הרגשתי שאם אשאר לא אעשה את הדברים כמו שאני רוצה ולא אוכל להשפיע. חלק מזה היה גם ההחלטה כלפי רוני לוי. היום אני במקום אחר, מקום שחלמתי להיות בו".
Two more years to sit here and tell about the preparations for the European Championship 2024?
"I wish no one wanted more from me."
shishabat@israelhayom.co.il
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