1:Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban recently discovered TikTok. He posted a video describing his team's campaign to complete its European Championship qualification on Monday, probably from first place at home. At the end of the video, he concludes: "We probably needed a bigger stadium than the Puskas Arena, despite the criticisms."
Hungary's national stadium holds 65,70 seats, and criticism of Orban, who is building dozens of stadiums (including the one in front of his home, where Israel was hosting) has been overwhelming. Now, with qualification for a second consecutive Euros, Hungary know that, at least at the senior level, they are in their biggest period in <> years. Hungarians spend most of their money on football and this comes at the expense of important things like security, health and education. If twenty years ago we had beaten them in every competition, the gap between the teams is already too large. But success in football comes at a price in other things. And you have to remember that.
Israeli Ambassador to Hungary Yaakov Hadas Handelsman together with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Photo: Zoltán Fischer, Prime Minister's Press Office
2: The European arena is still, even though we have been playing there for thirty years, not our place. Not at the national team level and not at the senior team level. The average Israeli footballer, as good as he is, is not built for this pace, this aggressiveness, this coldness and he does not have the necessary mental strength. It hurts my eyes and heart, but in the end it was a bad campaign at home, the easiest we've gotten since joining Europe. Our players are true patriots, but what they have in their legs is not enough. We've seen it in the last three games, and we've realized that in the end it's no wonder that we only succeed in youth and senior tournaments. Mentally we still can't make the necessary leap.
30 years in Europe, and this is still not our place, photo: Udi Zitiat
3:It's true that football doesn't deserve it, but in my life we deserve to be in this Euro. We walked around here in Hungary and saw how we became those people who feel sorry for them and wish them success at least in football, because we have no other comfort in the world. The Hungarians here wanted us to be happy, because the sadness in our eyes can be seen everywhere. But apparently we were born to suffer in any arena. May the miracle happen and we will make it through the Nations League. True, it sounds childish, but these players, despite their poor ability, and us, despite dealing with what really matters (and that is not football), deserve a moment of comfort. And if there is a football god, please him, who will appear this March.
Dor Turgeman. We deserved it, and we were probably born to suffer, Photo: Udi Zitiat
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4:<> This weekend the Premier League returns to the field. There is nothing to add to the level of the local league, because we have seen its wares over the past week in the international arena. And yet - it is ours and we love it, so the decision to return it is sad and insulting. God knows who cares about Maccabi Petah Tikva vs. M.S. Ashdod games at this time. Maybe for gamblers. We bury our dead, we fear for our lives and our heads are really not in football. Certainly not one, played in front of empty stands in our own country. The return of football is not a sign of routine, absolutely not. Because football is something that makes us happy, and we haven't been able to rejoice for so long.
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