Sondgren: "Maccabi Haifa has more fans in Tel Aviv than in Haifa"

The Swede was interviewed in his homeland after qualifying for the Champions League: "The crowd in Israel is warm and loving, on the street you almost have to protect yourself."

And also: the "sick atmosphere" in Belgrade and the decision to kick the goal from almost 30 meters

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25/08/2022

Thursday, August 25, 2022, 2:03 p.m

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Maccabi Haifa players celebrate qualifying for the group stage with a meal together (courtesy of Maccabi Haifa)

The Champions League draw will be held tonight (Thursday, 19:00) and the excitement will be in Carmel Rabbah.

Maccabi Haifa returns to the most prestigious institution in football for the third time in its history and after an absence of 13 years, but not only in Israel are excited by the achievement.

The Swedish media are also enthusiastic in light of the fact that one of the heroes of the game in Belgrade against Red Star is Daniel Sungren, the right back who joined the Greens this summer.

Sondgren, who scored the clinching goal that brought the Israeli champions back to life in the return leg on Tuesday, was interviewed by "aftonbladet" and said: "The feelings are crazy, a lot of fans were waiting for us at the airport in Israel and I think the majority still haven't digested what we did. I knew we were a good team after we beat Olympiakos, but to play in Belgrade and pass the Red Star in its home with everything that entails, is another thing entirely."

fulfill a dream

Sondgren (Photo: Maor Alxalsi)

The Swede also said about the 2:2 on the way to the Champions League: "In the beginning it was really cool, but the start of our game was a nightmare and we trailed 2:0 after 43 minutes. Fortunately, I received a ball outside the box and I felt that there were only the last seconds of the half, so I kicked even though it Not an action I often do. When I kick it usually becomes dangerous and I'm happy the ball went in and it was worth everything, even if it was a goal that resulted from a goalkeeper's mistake. We also felt that the star players were not in the right attitude, in the tunnel they screamed at each other and after my goal their confidence was damaged." .

Regarding the atmosphere in Belgrade, he added: "It's a sick stadium. There are close to 55,000 crazy fans. We also have to go up to the grass through a dark tunnel full of graffiti, 60 meters long and smelling of urine. You can say that the atmosphere there is a sick atmosphere."

At the end, the defender said: "The fans in Israel are very warm, if you score you are a god to them and they kiss you and hug you in the street to the extent that you almost have to protect yourself. Thousands of fans were waiting for us at the airport and it's crazy. Maccabi Haifa has more fans in Tel Aviv than in Haifa."

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• Maccabi Haifa

• Daniel Sondgren