"I felt at home from the first moment."
This is the sentence that the new French defender of Maccabi Haifa, Dylan Betovinsica, chose to describe his feelings after the last victory in the league against Sectia Nes Ziona.
The defender, who grew up in PSG, will meet his youth team tonight (Wednesday) in a place he never dreamed he would go to, but there is a lot behind the scenes and the post he wrote.
In addition to him, the champion's squad currently has seven French speakers on the list, which also includes Rami Gershon, Franzadi Pierrot, Pierre Cournot, Mavis Chibuta, Ali Muhammad and Abdoulaye Sek.
Just before he boarded the plane to Israel, he spoke on the phone with defender Pierre Cornot, another Frenchman, and heard from him that "Maccabi Haifa is a big club with an audience that is not much like it even in France."
Curno told about a beautiful city, a gorgeous beach, and even picked up Batvinsika upon landing in Israel to take him to a good restaurant.
By the way, after Tubinsika, the Senegalese Abdoulaye Sek also arrived, and in the dressing room the rest of the members feel comfortable.
Just two months ago, Haifa needed the services of defender Mikael Alphonse, who played in their ranks last season, in order to convince Franzadi Piero to come to Israel.
Piero.
Arrived in Haifa on Alphonse's recommendation, photo: Maor Alxalsi
"It was a good decision to come to Maccabi Haifa, and I'm glad I took it," Piero told the French "L'Equip" last week and thanked Alphonse.
Today we don't need players who played in the past in Haifa, the staff is full of French speakers who will tell the whole world what happens at Sami Ofer in every game and where they place Maccabi Haifa compared to other clubs in Europe.
"Rami Gershon was the first to help establish the French colony," they said at the club, "he played in Belgium and spoke the language. He explained to each player what he would get when he arrived, both professionally and mentally, what he would have to get used to, that he would help with whatever was needed - and this reassured the players The newcomers. When they arrived, he arranged everything for them, from the furniture for the house to pedicures and beauty treatments for the actors' wives. You don't have that anywhere else."
Getting used to the love of the crowd
When professional manager Gal Alberman chose the foreigners this season, he put them together like a puzzle.
First, the facilitation of the language issue, followed by a professional relationship between each other, and finally the connection to the existing consolidation.
So, for example, professionally - the defender Pierre Cornot, who excels at good heights, received the tall Pierre as a striker.
The two practice hours of training together in elevations and stationary positions.
Dylan Betobinsika and Abdoulaye Sek played together in Antwerp for three years and make up a defensive line that did not need a single day of acclimatization.
"You don't even need to teach them key words in Hebrew like 'leave' or something like that, they understand each other on their own," the actors said.
One thing the new players still need to get used to - they walk the streets of Haifa and the fans are not ashamed to reach out, hug and give a friendly pat on the back.
In Israel it is customary, but in the relatively cool French mentality - much less so.
Gershon told the procurement players that the Israeli mentality is warm and loving.
"When you're at the peak of love, it's the highest you can be," he explained to his new friends.
Ami Mohamed in front of Benfica, photo: AFP
Tonight, against PSG, two Frenchmen will play in the Maccabi Haifa team, one of whom grew up in the academy of the luxury club from the City of Lights.
Besides them there will be three more speakers of the language who have also lived in France at one point or another in their lives.
One thing is certain: no one at Maccabi Haifa will have to convince French-speaking players to come play for the club in the future.
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