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"I worked in construction, showered in the tap downstairs and then went to training" - voila! sport

2023-05-18T14:29:18.467Z

Highlights: Oren Mohrer was one of the stars of the young teams in the 80s and a huge talent that was lost. Looking back on a striped career, he admits: "I was wrong." Oren Muhrer was born on March 16, 3 in Israel. "My parents came from Yemen, my father immigrated to Israel at the age of 1971, my mother was born in Elyakim" "I don't know if I missed it, but I did something in Israeli football, more in the youth and youth teams"


The story of Oren Mohrer, one of the stars of the young teams in the 80s and a huge talent that was lost, is unconventional. Looking back on a striped career, he admits: "I was wrong."


"Towards the end of my quarantine year, moving from Hapoel Kfar Saba to Hapoel Petah Tikva, due to the economic situation, acquaintances arranged for me to work as a simple laborer in a construction company in central Israel. I worked on the scaffolding and all the known construction work. I would wake up at 05:00 A.M. and start working at 06:00 A.M. to 15:00 P.M., a very difficult job. At the end of work, I would go down to the tap downstairs, wash myself and go to practice at Hapoel Petah Tikva, a team in the National League. There is no football player in the top leagues today who works as a construction worker. So I had no awareness of the salary and the big money, there was no one to direct me."

What was your salary at Hapoel Petah Tikva?

"It used to be said back then, 'a penny and a half.' I earned 5,000 shekels and another thousand shekels for a league point, and it depended on how many wins we had."

Could have gone further. Muharar in Kfar Saba opposite Maccabi Tel Aviv, late 80s (Photo: Maariv, Naor Rahav)

The name Oren Muhrer is familiar to many to this day. "For several years I have been working as a taxi driver in the central region. When passengers get into a taxi and see the signs with my name on it, they take a look and say, 'You're a blackened pine, it's a privilege and an honor to meet you, I grew up with you.' There is a large number of such football fans every working day. It's kind of embarrassing to me because it's been many years."

Missed?

"I don't know if I missed it, but I did something in Israeli football, more in the youth and youth teams."

Don't necessarily feel missed. Muhrar (Photo: PR)

Oren Mohrer was born on March 16, 3 in Israel. "My parents came from Yemen, my father immigrated to Israel at the age of 1971, my mother was born in Elyakim. They met at a family event and later married. My father was a footballer for Hapoel Kfar Saba's subsidiary team, Hapoel 'Yaakov' Kfar Saba. I have a brother and 6 sisters, I am married plus 3 daughters. In elementary school I studied at Sharett Middle School, and at Ort Kfar Saba High School, in my fourth year I transferred to a combined high school, together with Avi Nemani and Shavit Elimelech. We won a national high school championship, we went to an international tournament in Florence, Italy, where we made it all the way to the final."

As a child, he grew up in a traditional Sabbath-observant home. "Like most of the children in the Aliya neighborhood, I went to the Beit Lazarus club, to the soccer class. The department was run by Asher Elkobi, a member of Beitar Kfar Saba, a well-known and popular figure. He discovered my talent in football and sent me to register with Hapoel Kfar Saba in the boys' team. After the first training session, I stopped coming because the managers explained at the team meeting that anyone who didn't pay membership tax couldn't continue training. I didn't come because I had no money to pay. Alkobi came to my house again, arranged the issue of the financial tax, he bought me my first Glory football shoes, which were in vogue at the time. In the boys' team I scored unconscious, in every game home and away, already at the age of 14 they transferred me to the youth team of Hapoel Kfar Saba."

And then your breakthrough began?

"In the Kfar Saba youth team, Avi Scharf, Shlomo's son, played with me. He said, "You've got to come to our game to see Oren snorted. Shlomo came and watched me score four beautiful goals. He approached the coach of the boys' team Amnon Raz and recommended inviting me to the national team, which was in the headlines at the time, and as a model for our future invitation to UEFA."

Scharf recalls: "Muharar was one of the most prominent strikers in the youth and youth teams, a good guy who always played for me in the youth team. He didn't break through big because it's hard to do it through Hapoel Kfar Saba. Muharar could and must have played for any top-tier team in the top division."

"It didn't break out big because it's hard to do it in Kfar Saba." Resin with Amnon Raz (Photo: Flash 90, Moshe Shai)

With him, Israel's boys team qualified for the European Championships in Paris for the first time. "We had a great team with names like Tal Benin, Ben Shimon, Sasportas, Yoav Shalom, Alon Yitzhaki and Tony Mordechai. In both qualifying games we beat Belgium 0-1 in Herzliya and 0-2 on two of my goals. We qualified for the championship, the events grabbed headlines in the sports sections. The following day, Israel's senior team played in Ramat Gan against Maradona's Argentina team and lost 7-2. The announcer on the field announced that the boys had made history."

Then came an invitation to move to Belgium.

"In Belgium, they were enthusiastic about my ability and offered the IFA to transfer me to one of the country's academies. Today, with a good player agent as we all know, I was already in Europe. So I took it like a compliment, and another headline in the sports section."

A teacher of etiquette and table walks arrived.

"We were under constant surveillance by UEFA officials, and a courtesy teacher was invited to the team who taught us players how to dress, how to sit around a table, when to start eating and when to get up from the table. We studied diligently."

Raz himself recalls: "Shlomo Scharf highly recommended Muhrar to me, already the day after he was invited to the squad. I immediately saw that I have a striker who loves football, a positive cheeky player on the field, who doesn't give up any ball. Mohrer also knew how to step back and help the defenders. It happens that the decisions to play in certain associations stop the big breakthrough forward, and the same goes for Mohrer. In Paris we drew 1-1 with Denmark, lost to Turkey 1-0 and drew against Greece that didn't take us to the next level, but we put together a great team for the rest of the way."

Muharar in the boys' team with Gili Sasportas (Photo: Maariv, Naor Rahav)

The international beach tournament was a hit in Israel at the time. "The Winter Championship for youth and youth in Israel was recorded on the calendar as the last tournament of the year. Quality teams came to Israel. Brian Laudrup with Denmark, Romania with Georgi Haji at the beginning of his career and many celebrities on the continent made their debut here. I remember a goal on the field in Kfar Saba against the Polish youth team with a kick from 50 meters in, we won 0-1.

"We were cohesive, we are a group that continues to keep in touch at every event. Later I played for the under-21 national team under Yitzhak Schneur and Yaakov Grundman, but there was no continuity in the national team. Kfar Saba was the periphery and I was disappointed that I didn't rise to the upper ranks."

He scored his first goal in Kfar Saba against Maccabi Petah Tikva at the age of 16.5. "Kfar Saba was the mid-table team at the time and our main scorer was Eli Yani. In the army I served in the military police, stationed at Tel Hashomer, the Kirya and Beit Lid. At Hapoel Kfar Saba, they gave me a driver and a taxi so I could get to training. Later I got an 'outstanding athlete,' which allowed me to go out twice a week for training and also every Friday and Saturday."

Muharar in front of Shimshon Tel Aviv (Photo: Maariv, Adi Avishai)

In June 1990 he recorded his only title - the State Cup with Hapoel Kfar Saba. "The 1989/90 season, under Polish coach Wojtek Lazarek, former coach of the Polish national team. In the league we finished sixth in the top playoffs. The journey to the final was difficult and went through two games against Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv, and in the semi-finals we eliminated Hapoel Be'er Sheva 2:3 in a thrilling match. At Ramat Gan Stadium we beat Shimshon Tel Aviv 0-1 in the final from a goal by substitute Gideon Simon in extra-time."

After the cup came the downfall, of Kfar Saba on the team level and his on the individual level. "Without understanding why, my playing minutes fell a lot. Coach Shimon Shenhar took me out in one of the games in the 42nd minute. I asked him why he had done such a thing to me in a personal conversation and his answer was, 'I shouldn't let you play too much so you don't in your head.' Another coach, a well-known former Kfar Saba player, hardly let me play. Really ignored me. I was annoyed, and it was certainly a mistake to ask to leave Hapoel Kfar Saba immediately. But again, there was no one around me to help me deal with such a situation."

He decided to leave, but it took time. "Hapoel Kfar Saba in the 1990/91 season was the weakest in the league, it finished last in the table and was relegated to Liga Artzit. I was at the club for another two years and helped the team return to Leumit. As far as I was concerned, I had no future at the club, I entered a one-year quarantine form. The general changes at the club were great. The one-year quarantine form has been put into operation."

Did you have any good suggestions?

"There was an attempt to transfer me to Moshe Sinai's Hapoel Tel Aviv. Abraham Grant was also interested and wanted me, but nothing came to fruition."

Then a phone call from Guy Levy, coach of Hapoel Petah Tikva.

"While I was in quarantine, Guy Levy offered me a two-year contract after a month and a half of training. Guy was a wonderful coach, a loving man who understands football and I had an excellent time with him. The 1994/95 season began with my goal in a 0-1 win over Ironi Rishon LeZion, the first goal scored at Haberfeld Stadium."

You "helped" Walid Badir to become a huge midfielder.

"When I arrived at Hapoel Petah Tikva Badir was the striker alongside Moti Kekon. It was decided by the coach to demote Badir to midfield or to the central defender's position, from where he broke into glory in the Israeli national team, Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Tel Aviv. I was on the offensive."

But then you made another mistake.

"I injured my groin, it was hard for me to recover. Hapoel Petah Tikva went to a training camp in Europe, it was decided not to take me. I asked not to fulfill my contract for another season, another error of judgment after Guy Levy asked me for patience, complimented me and wanted me to continue with him. I insisted irrationally on leaving and the rest was already as a player in the lower leagues. At first I made a mistake and moved to Hapoel Ramat Gan, which was not a good team at the time and also a club without money. The rest of the journey was not in the glamour of Israeli football - I moved to Maccabi Acre, my brother Nazareth, Kfar Kana, Bnei Sakhnin, Tzafririm Holon, Hapoel Ashkelon and Ramat Hasharon.

Who knows what would have come out of it if it hadn't been released. Badir (Photo by Getty Images, Phil Cole)

"I have a pro certificate in coaching, I was an assistant coach of Slobodan Drapič, Shlomi Dora, Itzik Ovadia and Sharon Mimer. I had another attempt to return to play for Hapoel Kfar Saba, under Eli Tabib and the late coach Avi Cohen, but the move did not materialize."

So what is your conclusion about the career?

"I grew up as an adult, I missed my childhood because I was always in football with players older than me. I was used to being a leading player, but I made a mistake in my decision-making. Looking back, I would not have left Hapoel Kfar Saba or Hapoel Petah Tikva. I didn't know how to navigate my football moves."

  • sport
  • Israeli football
  • League

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  • Oren Muhrer

Source: walla

All sports articles on 2023-05-18

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