"To this day they remind me of the goal at Old Trafford"

When Rafi Cohen says that "Maccabi Haifa's place in the Champions League" you can believe him regardless of the result in Belgrade.

After all, he made history and even scored against Manchester United, declaring that "I am an ardent fan, coming to all the games" and not forgetting the cup with Benny Sakhnin

Asher Goldberg

25/08/2022

Thursday, August 25, 2022, 4:30 p.m

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"I am an ardent fan of Maccabi Haifa, I come to almost all the games. I was also at the amazing victory in Piraeus over Olympiakos 0:4. I believed from the beginning that Becher had a powerful and strong team to pass the Red Star and reach the Champions League. That is definitely where Maccabi Haifa belongs."

When Rafi Cohen says that Maccabi Haifa's place is in the Champions League group stage, it is one of the few times that it is hard to say that they are exaggerating.

After all, he was already there.

20 years ago the striker made history when he qualified with the Greens for the group stage, for the first time in the history of an Israeli team.

"I scored many dozens of goals throughout my career, but to this day I am reminded of the goal in September 2002 at Old Trafford against Manchester United. My goal, after I came on as a substitute, shrunk to 4:2. I was not particularly happy, we thought we could make a comeback but We conceded the fifth. The atmosphere was dreamy, but I don't see anything in Gol to be proud of. In the second leg in Nicosia, where we played due to the security situation, we beat them 0:3.

Many exciting moments.

Rafi Cohen (Photo: Maariv, Danny Maron)

At the beginning of the week, Cohen turned 48. He was born in 1974 in Tirat Carmel, married + 3, works in the sports department of the Haifa municipality and coaches the pioneers of the boys' teams in Maccabi Haifa.

"I wish there would be more Rafi Cohens like me and better ones," he says, "The center in the Carmel Castle was the movie theater and the soccer team. From morning until night, everything was centered around me and most of my friends around the ball. From the 'Shipman' school, in the neighborhood fields and in the community center, the neighbors They said that they always saw me dribbling between the houses close to the ball. Reuven Atar recommended that I join the Maccabi Haifa boys' team, but there they decided that I was too short and did not promote me to the youth team.

"I moved to the youth department of Neve Yosef and from there to Laor Akiva and Karmiel. A blessed phone call from coach Eyal Lachman brought me to Hapoel Rishon Lezion. We finished in seventh place, I had a good breakthrough season in the top league, then still the national league."

"Eli Cohen asked me to come to Maccabi Haifa and Yaakov Shahar bought me from Rishon Lezion. I returned home, to a team that I love and support, great fun and indescribable excitement. I am returning to Maccabi Haifa graduates, to the place where Reuven Atar and Eyal Berkovich grew up, my models for inspiration and admiration" .

Picked up the phone and launched his career.

Eli Cohen (Photo: Barney Ardov)

In 1999 he signed a five-year contract.

"At the meeting with President Yankala Shahar, I asked about the financial issue. Shahar told me to buy an apartment, the club would pay for it and financially deduct the payments from my contract. To this day, I live in this apartment on Sea Road in the city."

Already in his first season he often found the net.

"The team had a great attack with names in the front line like Kalashchenko, Gahokidze, Banyon, Yaniv Katan, myself and others. I scored 18 league goals in the 1999/2000 season. Banyon had 19, Kalashchenko had 22 goals. The king in that season was Assi Tovi From Maccabi Petah Tikva with 27 goals. In the league we finished in second place, and in the semifinals of the State Cup we lost to Hapoel Tel Aviv."

A year later it was already over in the championship.

"I mainly came on as a substitute, I scored 13 goals, like in Nyon. The disappointment was again in the cup semi-final against Maccabi Petah Tikva, where we lost a 0:2 lead and were eliminated in overtime 3:2."

In those days, Maccabi Haifa dominated the meetings against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

"During my time at Kiryat Eliezer, we beat them on every occasion. You can't forget Benyon's dribbling slalom in Bloomfield in the 90th minute and his stunning winning goal, but in May 2002 we played in the doubles final and lost to them on penalties."

His final title on the green was to come a year later.

Even today he is still living the drama of 2003. "Hapoel Petah Tikva received permission to move the game against Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Ramat Gan stadium instead of playing in the stable. The financial income was important to them, and indeed almost 40 thousand spectators came to Ramat Gan. Maccabi Haifa defeated Ashdod 1:5 which wasn't enough, because Tel Aviv won 0:3, the difference it needed for the title. It was a very, very painful disappointment. To that should be added the defeat in the semi-finals of the cup 3:0 to Hapoel Beer Sheva. We settled for the Toto Cup, with a victory in the final over Hapoel Tel Aviv 0:2".

A career full of successes and disappointments.

Rafi Cohen Hayom (photo: courtesy of the photographer)

After this season Yitzhak Shum left and in his place Roni Levy was appointed coach.

"Michael Zandberg was joined by Idan Tal, Eliniv Barda and Shi Birok. I wanted to play, to be on the field and not a substitute on the bench. I met with Lachman, who coached Bnei Sakhnin. Lachman talked to me about the attack that Sakhnin will have, in which I am an important component alongside Gabriel Lima and Lior Asulin. Roni Levy approved me to finish the contract at Maccabi Haifa."

With Bnei Sakhnin he won the historic cup.

"It was unimaginable. In the league, we were at the bottom, in tenth place above Maccabi Netanya and Ahi Nazareth, who were relegated to the national league. All our strength and soul were dedicated to the task of the cup. On the way to Ramat Gan, we beat Nazareth Elite on penalties, in the quarter-finals, an amazing victory and the elimination of Maccabi Tel Aviv, as well in penalties. We were at the peak of belief and enthusiasm, in the semi-finals we beat MS Ashdod 0:1."

38 thousand spectators reached the final in Ramat Gan.

"Hapoel Haifa was in first place in the national league with record momentum. On the way to the finals, it eliminated Beitar Jerusalem, Maccabi Netanya and Hapoel Tel Aviv.

They had Jeff Tutuana, an excellent goalie.

Almost 30,000 fans came to the game to push the Bnei Sakhnin, Bedouin fans from the Negev and the entire sector.

They created a fascinating fantasy celebration in the stadium.

"In the first half we were not in the game, Shai Dahan scored for Haifa in the 45th minute and in the dressing room Lachman knew how to direct us professionally and mentally with peak enthusiasm. In the second half the direction was towards the goal of Hapoel Haifa goalkeeper Enan Peru. Avi Danan scored first, Assolin added a goal, Lima scored The third was scored by Vasolin at the end with a penalty, 1:4 and unimaginable celebrations in the Sakhnin center, just like in the movies."

"Maybe they will achieve better results than us."

Maccabi Haifa players celebrate qualifying on Tuesday (Photo: GettyImages, Srdjan Stevanovic)

Later on, Cohen moved to Umm El Fahem, when an attempt to sign with Bnei Yehuda failed after several weeks of training.

Umm Al Fahem refused to give release, the road led to Hapoel Acre, Hapoel Ashkelon and a decision to hang up the shoes.

"There are a lot of memories from my path in football, but I dribbled them forward, to the sympathy for the current Maccabi Haifa, my great love."

"Cohen, Grant and Shum's teams were very professionally coordinated, with an almost permanent roster and huge names such as Jano, Benado, Alon Harazi, Casey, Badir, Pralia, Russo, Ketan, Banyon, Kalashchenko, Yakubu and the giant Raymonds Jotautas ".

"Today it is impossible to bring such foreigners to Israel, it would cost at least 18 million euros. He was the player who brought the team together and the man who led from the middle, simply an extraordinary professional bingo."

It is no longer possible to bring such players.

Xotautas in front of Ryan Giggs (photo: official website, Action Images)

He didn't fly to Belgrade, but apparently qualifying for the group stage made him smile.

"I salute coach Barak Becher, he is a great coach like Grant Vashum. Maccabi Haifa has advanced to the Champions League, I am happy and proud of our repeated history. I wish they would now be even better than our achievement."

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