Recap of Maccabi Haifa's 1:2 victory over Hapoel Jerusalem/Sport1
"I see that goal all night. It's crazy how many messages I've received," Reuven Atar said Friday morning, the day after the match between Maccabi Haifa and Barcelona legends, in which he scored a typical goal from 35 meters. The former star's spectacular goal lifted the Greens to a 0-1 lead and gave a whiff of surprise in the air, but even the quintet scored by the Barcelona veterans in the second half did nothing to dampen the excitement.
Judging by your reaction after the goal, it seemed that you were both shocked by the performance and pleased because you dreamed of exactly such a moment.
"It's not a shock, but I did look forward to it. The interest surrounding the game raised the level of expectations and I reached a point where the night before I barely slept. I got up in the morning, ate an omelet, and that's what I put in my mouth all day. I had no appetite, I was excited for the game. I came up with the goal of waiting for that moment, to get back a drop of everything that was expected of me."
How did you feel you had so many expectations? The reactions on the street? The messages and calls on the phone?
"All in all. Phones, messages, on the street talked to me nonstop. I felt that I was being burdened with more and more expectations, and after the reactions I received at the end of the game I felt like an active footballer. I felt like it took me back 30 years. Everyone writes to me about how excited they were and how much it brought them back to those days when they enjoyed me."
Just like the old days. Reuven Atar/Maor Elkeslassy
After the gate, you signaled something to someone from the stand. What was it?
"It was aimed at my father, my children, my spouse. I looked over to where they were sitting. My father is 94 years old, completely independent and didn't need anything. When I was an active footballer, he wouldn't come to the pitch much because of the excitement and pressure. I told myself I wanted to surprise him and take him to the game this time. My children brought it. In fact, it's one of the only goals he's seen me score live from the stands."
Atar says that the special evening ended in an even more special way. "My sister married her son yesterday. At halftime, I was already at a wedding that took place five minutes away from the stadium. It was my luck, because I arrived just before the canopy. I met the whole family there, and we celebrated the goal I scored. I didn't even see what happened in the second half."
When was the last time you kicked such a kick from 35 yards?
"Since retirement, I haven't kicked like that in my opinion. Even in the warm-up, I didn't kick or deliver a stripe of more than 10 meters, so as not to put pressure on the muscles. I got an injection before the game and took a pain pill so I wouldn't have any surprises and so I could show something. In the end, I succeeded in a big way."
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From the game to the wedding. Atar alongside Zahi Armali / Maor al-Qasalsi
It's one of the most beautiful goals you've scored.
"What's happening on my Facebook, there's nothing like that. I scroll from top to bottom nonstop, everything is blown away. My children also tell me on other social networks that it's everywhere."
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- Reuven Atar