Hapoel Tel Aviv player Idan Vared was interviewed today (Tuesday) on the Back 2 Back page on the LinkedIn network in which he spoke honestly about the anxieties and the severe illness he went through, the peaks and disappointments in his career, the move from Beitar Jerusalem to Hapoel Tel Aviv as well as the expected future.
You had a serious illness - absent for six months. You lost a lot of weight and the worst thing is that they didn't really understand what you had.
"After two years I found out it was an anxiety attack. I lost seven kg, everyone including me thought it was something else and it was a panic attack at all.
After two years of understanding it deeply, I started talking about it and lecturing.
I talked about it in the media, many still think it was something in the stomach."
You had dramatic games in your career - almost promotion to the Champions League with Maccabi Haifa against Genk, losing in three cup finals. What's the most disappointing moment so far?
"Of all the almosts - the game against Genk. After 2-1 away, we lost on penalties in the promotion game to the champions. An Israeli team that reaches the group stage is once in a decade. We were a good team and here in Israel we should have won 0:5 and we only won 1:2. We were a penalty away from promotion to the champions".
Speaking of Haifa in 2010 Beitar fans literally "kidnapped" you so you wouldn't pass, what was there?
"In 2010, Haifa bought me from Beitar for 1.2 million dollars - an unprecedented amount. Beitar's crowd came to me at 03:00 in the morning and took me to Jerusalem. I was there for 4 days with them and they thought it would sabotage the deal. A video of it on YouTube. It's huge."
Idan Vared in Beitar Jerusalem uniform, photo: Alan Shiver
You played for both Red Star Belgrade and Maccabi Haifa: who will advance to the group stage of the Champions League?
"I did win championships in both of them. The Star is a much bigger club, but Maccabi Haifa is currently a better team. The first game at Sami Ofer will have a huge significance for the competition. At home, Haifa can and should have a significant advantage over Belgrade. 60 thousand Serbs in Markana is an unforgettable experience and the atmosphere there is very homely And it's hard to play there. I think it's 70%-30% in favor of Haifa."
How much thought did you have before moving from Beitar to Hapoel Tel Aviv?
"Things you see from here you don't see from there", that's how I summarize the whole transition.
It was a very challenging and different summer, but it is a step that had to happen, and in the future I will be able to talk and tell about it."
Where will we see you the day after football?
"I don't think about it. I'm 33 years old and I only think about the next training session. Those who follow me know about a start-up I have with the president of Barcelona Juan Laporte called Skillset. A platform that offers children and youth targeted training. It has been in development for 3.5 years and we have contracts With the best players and clubs in the world. The world of sports and tech are very interesting to me and I do courses, research and study.
If you were to be in the shoes of the chairman of the association in the future, how would you act to promote soccer and Israel's national team to a major tournament?
"There are many people who give suggestions and think they know everything without stepping into that person's shoes, so I cannot and am not in a position to know what I would do if I were in the chair of the chairman of the association.
If I get to these places then I will act, but right now I'm far from there."
Would you rather your child be a footballer?
"He is 4 years old and left-handed, which is a rare commodity in football. He of course lives it through me and loves it very much, but I will never pressure him. Unlike a lot of people, I am in love with our football and in love with those involved in it. I am addicted to Israeli football. If there is a player, that would be great, but first Any framework. Competitiveness, discipline and organization is something very important for children."
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