Israeli national team players celebrate qualifying for the quarterfinals of the World Cup (Photo: Israel Football Association Instagram page)
Haim Revivo is not in Argentina, but his heart has been with son Roy and his teammates for the Israeli under-10 team, which made another great achievement last night and reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
"When the tournament started I said I would wait for them to get through the group stage and fly to the final eight, if they qualify," Revivo Sr. told Walla! "Then came the eighth stage and I said to myself, 'We'll wait for them to get to the quarterfinals, and then I'll fly.'"
So are you on your way to booking airline tickets?
"I'll tell you the truth, I reckon not. It's very tempting, but it must be said honestly that it's not easy to fly to the other side of the world now, and it's not in Buenos Aires either, and you have to continue on additional flights. I reckon I'll stay for the quarter-finals at home as well. What happens in our home is simply an extraordinary experience. What happened tonight when we won in the 20th minute, it's amazing. It was two o'clock in the morning, the whole family and close friends were sitting in front of the screen in the living room, and at the moment of the gate there were huge screams. What's interesting is that there were screams in every neighborhood. We just got addicted to this team, and I think in almost every home you watch football, you follow this team and it makes us very proud."
"On a personal level, I'm so proud of Roy," Revivo continues. "We talk a lot. I talk to him before games, after games. I'm not one of those parents who stresses and wants to talk to their child all the time, but I definitely like talking to him before games to make sure he's done a good preparation, and after games to see that he's resting properly. I'm so happy for him and proud of my son."
True pride. Roy alongside Haim Revivo (Photo: GettyImages)
Haim, what makes this team unique? How did this team make history?
"This team came to the World Cup as runners-up of the European Championship. This is a team that got past France in the semi-finals a year ago. We knew there was quality in this team, we knew it had ability and character. What she's doing now doesn't surprise me. It's true that it's a World Cup and you don't usually know the teams from the other continents, we also got a tough group with Colombia, Senegal and Japan, these are three teams you don't know how you're going to face them, but there's a main thing about this team that is most important to me: it's a group of players who have been playing together since the age of 10 or 12. Players like Lemkin and Senior, who are now at Hapoel Tel Aviv, used to be at Maccabi Tel Aviv together with Roy and Roy Nawi and Dor Turgeman. They've been playing together for 10 years, they love each other, they're friends with each other. It's true friendship, beyond talent and football."
What is the role of Ofir Haim?
"A very big part, a central part. I think Ofir's influence on the children is enormous. He knows how to talk to them, he knows how to touch them. They believe him. I didn't play against Ofir because I was already abroad when he played in the top league, but of course I knew him as a personality. I know what's in it. I know how big an impact he has on them. He played a key role in this extraordinary success."
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"The players believe him." Ofir Haim (Photo: official website, Assi Kieffer, Israel Football Association)
Can you say we finally found the biggest tournament we've been looking for since Mexico 70?
"You know me and know that I don't like to make comparisons and that I also never forget what we did in the past, but I think you can say that we have finally found the tournament that we have been waiting for 53 years. We can finally be proud of the world football event we have attended. After Mexico 70, we waited 53 years for this achievement, and I definitely see what these guys are doing now in the same breath as the team that played in Mexico 1970. We have Mexico 70, and from now on we have Argentina 2023."
What's the best tip you can give this bunch?
"That's the most important question. I think that each of them, when this journey is over, has to go down exactly to the base, to the ground, to places from which you can break through again and go up. I played for young teams and I had a lot of talent next to me who were 20 or 18 years old and didn't know how to do it and didn't know how to land down and stay hungry. Those talents are gone. The biggest tip for this whole bunch is to remember that this is another stop on the way. This is another chapter in their lives, after which they have to write the next one."
Make progress. Roy Revivo in a Hapoel Jerusalem uniform (Photo: Bernie Ardov)
Roy's loan to Hapoel Jerusalem was significant.
"Roy was also one of the standouts in the national team a year ago at the Euros in Slovakia. Even then, he was one of the most dominant players in the national team. I think Maccabi Tel Aviv's high-level training did its job and boosted him, but without a doubt the mid-season move to Hapoel Jerusalem was the right move that promoted him. The training with Ziv Arie added a lot to him and I'm very happy that he's playing his game at this level as well, with a lot of determination and a lot of composure."
What are Roy's distinguishing qualities?
"These are exactly the qualities – determination and composure. This kid is not afraid of anything, he goes up to play on every field and in every position in the same way. He doesn't feel like he's ever done his thing, but feels that he always has somewhere to aspire to. I'm very happy he's doing these things. We know that throughout the years it has not been easy to be the son of, but Roy has done it like a great. Next season he will play for Maccabi Tel Aviv and I believe he will know how to do there what he is doing now in the World Cup."
- sport
- Israeli football
- Israeli national teams
Tags
- Youth team
- Haim Revivo
