Maccabi Haifa is celebrating a third consecutive championship in recent days and the team's top scorer - Omer Atzili - is closing in on a second year in which he scored and cooked in exceptional numbers. After finishing the season with 22 goals and 12 assists, the midfielder appeared on the "Small in 2" program on Haifa Radio and spoke at length about winning titles and the difficult times he went through. "In the dressing room we would talk about which championship was more exciting the first or the third," he said, adding: "For me, the third championship was more exciting, after a long season with poor performance. In the end we took her with character, right in our teeth we were on the fumes physically and mentally." He added: "It was all together, especially after two championships, in the third championship it's much harder and very sweet and very difficult and there was a lot of character and things came together and it was amazing."
On the goals he provided, Atzili said: "I am happy to have a significant part in the team. I feel the support and appreciation from the audience. If you had told me two and a half years ago, I wouldn't have believed it. It's crazy stuff, I'm very happy and want to keep going. The professional staff also gave me a free hand in the offensive part, if sometimes I faked the defense they would turn a blind eye. They let me do everything on the court, Barak said, "It's yours and do what you know." I'm glad it looked that way, I knew how to take it."
Atzili scored a pair against Juventus in the Champions League and was responsible for the big goal in Belgrade that lifted the Greens to the group stage. At the time, there were those who argued that Noble was less suitable for Europe, and the midfielder referred to this: "It's not fun to hear and I was nervous and said the things I felt to those who needed it. Barak tactically wanted us to be five in defence with two forwards and told me that this is his professional truth at the moment. He thought it was the best thing for Maccabi Haifa and he believed I would come in and make the change. I was very upset, I would come home, curse and get angry, but in the end it wasn't my decision. In the end, I'm happy that things did work out, I played and contributed."
On the ups and downs, he said: "There were a lot of training sessions that I didn't feel like practicing, I was upset. It affected me a lot. I'm very sensitive and they saw that about me. I was sane and it affected me, Barak talked about how I came out in the middle of training at a time when I wasn't going and got off training, I wanted to burn the world, I tore my jersey and got out of training. To Barak's credit, he understood. At the moment I needed it most, Barak came and told me, "Your keys will bring a championship to Maccabi Haifa." Barak told me that he made a mistake and should have handled me differently and I appreciate that the most in the world. He told me let's bring another championship together to Maccabi Haifa and make history, since then I just exploded. I have friends who tell me it's good. Whenever they detect that I'm going downhill, you have to wake up the monster. Maybe Barak thought about it too, and in the end my best years were with Barak, that's a fact."
With the best player award against Juventus in Sammy Ofer, photo: Maor Elkeslassy
Of Behar himself as a coach, he said: "He's an introvert and quiet but a real leader, we followed him. You know there's a landlord here, I've been with him for two and a half years I've never seen him explode, he can wake up but you won't see him kicking the board, he doesn't break the dishes, it shows greatness. He contains that, and I think you can see his success both in Sheva and here and all the things around him."
On Behar's departure to Red Star, he added: "Players took hard. It's the end of a certain dynasty. The end of 3 amazing years."
Noble in the national team uniform. Want to return to the blue uniform, photo: Alan Shaver
"The connection between the actors is crazy, there is no ego at all"
Omer Atzili signed for Maccabi Haifa two and a half years ago and since then has been leading the team in terms of numbers. The beginning was not easy, through the organization of women's organizations and public criticism after he was involved in the underage affair three years ago, but all along he received full support from the club. "There was a lot of background noise," he said, "I'm sensitive and it's not a simple thing. Maccabi Haifa Netanya gave me the best envelope possible, from the owners at first, all the professional staff received me with love and later also the audience and slowly I gained confidence thanks to them. I also arrived unsettled, finished at Maccabi Tel Aviv, and then Nicosia, I didn't want to go abroad and I went because the case had not yet been officially closed. It's an unpleasant feeling, I went out in a kind of exile and didn't succeed there. I didn't know what kind of player I was coming back to, I was afraid it might have affected me and I felt like I couldn't go back and be what I was. That's what went through my mind."
On the explosion at Maccabi Haifa: "The confidence I received from Barak who believed in me until the end is the main reason, I think that ahead of the playoffs we went to Ya'a in Ashdod, in the first season at Maccabi and won there and I scored a pair. And I said, 'Here is Omar, whom I know, coming and showing his abilities.' The shell made a difference. My wife, parents and family after everything I went through and they were by my side, I told my parents I didn't think I could play and they tried to cheer with me, I felt heavy, I asked myself why I didn't get into situations, I felt like I couldn't kick a goal." Asked if he believed he would be so successful at Maccabi Haifa, he said: "I'm telling you that I didn't believe that after three years this would be what it would be. Yankele told me that he wanted me to be a Maccabi Haifa player and that the club was behind me in everything I needed and they would absorb all the media attention. The road was tough, but as soon as we won the first championship we felt like a weight had fallen off our feet."
On the special team fabric built at Maccabi Haifa: "The connection is crazy. No ego at all. I came in as an attacking player and I had Sherry, Nikita and Haziza next to me who were very dominant and let me fit in and we played and it was amazing to me. That's the nature of the group – very social, they appreciate each other and know the good."
Behar. Perfect connection, photo: Alan Shaver
"The family has been shaken, appreciate everything they have done for me"
Atzili started his career at Hapoel Rishon LeZion in the National League. From there he moved to Beitar Jerusalem, Spanish Granada, Maccabi Tel Aviv, APOEL Nicosia and now Maccabi Haifa. Factually, he won 5 consecutive championships, 2 in Tel Aviv and 3 in Haifa. "I feel the best in the world here and I'm happy here and I want to stay," he said of acclimatizing to Carmel. I appreciate the place now, I appreciate the moment and I feel loved, both from the audience, also from the players and management. I feel like I grew up here."
On his future, he added: "Let's be realistic, I don't think I can go to the Spanish league. If you come to Valencia? Maybe I'll consider, but for a bottom team in a big league? It doesn't intrigue me. It's not my dream, I don't think about it. If there is something exceptional financially, then maybe, my dream is to continue at Maccabi Haifa and succeed."
Regarding his acclimatization in front of the crowd, he said: "They would call me in the north and I would hear boos. And now I feel like I'm someone who grew up here."
Next season, Atzili will begin a new chapter at Maccabi Haifa, under coach Masai. Noble was surprised when he said: "It's not such a big surprise. We knew Masai was one of the candidates and we're looking forward to starting to work together, we players have a huge responsibility and it's an interesting challenge and a bit refreshing, it gives another element of hunger and I know Masai and I know he's a very offensive coach who believes in ball possession."
On retiring from the Israeli national team, he said: "I really want to return to the national team. I'd love to be a national team player but there are things I'm not willing to go through again, certainly not a field trial on the part of women's organizations, to resurface everything and I'm not interested in that. If the national team calls me without setting conditions, I'll be very happy to come back."
On a personal level, Atzili spoke about what he and his family went through: "We went through a difficult upheaval. I am aware of this and greatly appreciate everything they have done for me. I treat my wife like a queen. My wife told me after a while, 'I'm with you no matter what people say around you, I'm with you and it's important to me that you know this and move forward,' she is a queen. That's what motivated me to embark on a new path. I love staying home with the kids and I want real quality time with the kids and my wife. It was also very difficult for my parents. They didn't share everything with me and I hope it's behind them."
Omer and noble light,
On fatherhood: "I have two children. I am a very active father, my son is 5 and the girl is 3 and a half, I also have once and twice a week that I take showers, dinner, the decisions the woman makes but I am very involved."
On faith and strengthening: "I became closer to religion, even before I was connected, I started hanging up my phone on Shabbat, I have time for my wife and children, it's as much fun as it can be. On Friday and Saturday I am completely with my family, there is no particular reason to approach religion. Everything I went through, baseless hatred and slander, I connected to everything connected between a person and his friend."
The hottest sports articles and updates on your Telegram
Join
He concluded by talking about next season: "My goal is to enjoy myself as much as possible. I do the thing I love the most, first thing is the Champions League, it's something that's crazy and more in Sammy Ofer in general is crazy. It was very difficult to get to the Champions League. It's a goal and a dream. Most of the squad remains and will strengthen the team. The goal is a championship it's clear to everyone and to reach as high as possible, from the moment I arrived they told me if you make a championship after 10 years it's a stamp and also the second championship and the third and the Champions League said that, but there is always room to aspire. We trust Masai very much and we have common goals together and he is aware of that and it is clear to him."
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/S7UVDTX7DREC7DXVCZN6MEKGBY.jpg)
