Ido Shahar is only 21 years old, but when you talk to him you can understand that he is a guy with a matriculation that suits people of 40. Maybe it comes from the house where he grew up, maybe from the place where he first stepped onto the soccer field in Kibbutz Gat in the south of the country, and maybe it's because in recent years he has gone through several stops as a loanee from his youth team Maccabi Tel Aviv. After failing at Beitar Tel Aviv/Bat Yam, Hapoel Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv, last summer Shahar moved to play for the Cypriot champion Apollon Limassol.
In an interview with Israel Hayom, he tells about the decision: "For me, it's a world of difference between going on loan to a team in Israel and going to a champion team that aspires to win titles. Apollon has a huge crowd, a new stadium, excellent facilities, we played in Europe at the beginning of the year, and this is a fundamental change for me And in terms of the progress of the career."
Ido Shahar.
He is doing well in Cyprus, photo: Apollon Limassol
This is the fourth time this season that you have gone out on loan since you signed a professional contract, isn't it stressful to be loaned out season after season?
"Absolutely not. You have to understand that I initiated all these loans, starting with the first loan to Tel Aviv when, instead of staying another season in the youth, I preferred to languish in a senior team, but I wanted to skip another season in the youth. Also in the other loans, I preferred to go play elsewhere instead To get minutes here and there at Maccabi, if at all."
Do you see yourself playing in the Maccabi Tel Aviv team in the coming years?
"To be honest, it's something I don't bother with. I got to a big club in Cyprus, I went to Europe, and for me the most important thing is to try and stay in Europe. If I've already gone abroad, then the goal is to stay.
Maccabi Tel Aviv is the biggest club in Israel and every player's ambition is to reach it, but I feel I have made a leap and my goal is to progress as much as possible."
What is your impression of Cyprus? What does the Israeli viewer not know about her?
"The truth is, I was very surprised by the league here, by life here, the people here live football at a level we don't understand at all, they don't have other sports that keep them busy. The crowd here is huge, crazy, almost every game the fans here use pyrotechnics. I really connected to the club, to the people , to the team at Apollon, much more than I expected before I got here."
Ido Shahar.
positively impressed by Cyprus,
Apollon, for those who don't remember, met Maccabi Haifa at the beginning of the year in the Champions League qualifiers.
After winning the aforementioned championship last year, this year Limassol experienced a fall and is currently only in fifth place in the table, 16 points away from the leader AK Larnaca.
According to Shahar, this has been common in recent years.
"It's very difficult to explain the drop in results. The team didn't release important players, but it's something that happens. 3 seasons ago Apoel Nicosia won the championship and a year after that they didn't make it to the top playoffs. Two years ago it happened to Omunia Nicosia and now we're having trouble too. I believe that in the end we We will manage to reach the playoffs, and if we enter the playoffs, we have a chance to finish in a place that leads to Europe."
How did you acclimate there?
"My partner lives with me, so of course that makes it easier first and foremost. The integration is amazing for me. It's quiet, Limassol is the most attractive city in Cyprus. There is a large community of Israelis and when it was announced that I was coming here, many people sent me messages, helping me to settle in, look for an apartment and a car . I didn't do these things alone. Besides, there are many foreign players, so everyone helps everyone and the connection in the dressing room is very good."
When you joined the team, did they tell you what was expected of you?
"They told me that they were building on me, but since I arrived, both the coach and the professional manager have been replaced. I know that Apollon started following me from the youth team's games against Poland and Germany, after that they saw my games in the league at Maccabi Petah Tikva and then they contacted my agents."
Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
"I really hope to reach one of the biggest leagues in Europe, I'm looking as far as possible and of course the ambition is to be a player in the senior team."
Ido Shahar.
Dreaming of reaching the senior team, photo: Alan Shiver
Before reaching the senior team, a youth Euro awaits you in the summer. What are the goals?
"The goals? To go as far as possible, to come and beat both Germany and England. We will look at all our opponents in the white of the eyes and we feel that we can do it. The connection with Guy Luzon is very good, we quickly understood his demands. We had to make adjustments to his method and principles, but I believe we can go far."
I imagine you follow the Premier League, who do you think will win the championship?
"It's hard to bet if at the beginning of the season and after Maccabi's victory over Haifa I was sure that Maccabi would go all the way, now I'm not sure anymore. It will be very difficult for everyone, I think it will be decided right at the end of the season."
Ido Shahar.
The goal is to continue in Europe, photo: Alan Shiver
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