Last August the Sherry family was in the clouds.
Maccabi Haifa star Charon and his wife Ashley had a third child.
After Jaylin and Shane Charon, came Ches Carter.
At first everything was fine, until the war started and the family returned to the Netherlands.
Precisely there, the Sherry couple realized that something was not right.
In the tests done in Rotterdam, a medical problem was discovered with the new baby and Charon realized that he would not be able to return to Israel with his wife and children.
Since he returned to Israel in order to continue the activity of Maccabi Haifa Charon Sherry is practically alone.
His wife faced the problem alone, with the two older children also of course with her.
Now, just before he returns to them in the Netherlands, Sherry tells in a special and extensive interview with Israel Hayom about the decision he made to leave Haifa and the difficult period in his life.
"When my son was born, we discovered that there was a medical problem and he needed to be treated," he explains at the beginning of his words.
"I've lived here alone the whole time, I need to be calm and when my family was by my side I had peace. When my wife and three children weren't with me I wasn't calm because I'm a father first and foremost, they needed me and I wasn't there for them. On the other hand, no I felt comfortable here too, even though this is my job and my team. I felt uncomfortable when I left (for visits to the Netherlands - L.N.) and I was in the middle of games, and I felt bad when my family stayed in the Netherlands. In the end, it is very difficult for me to leave Maccabi Haifa now, but I I promise here - I'm not saying goodbye, just see you soon."
Sherry in the last home game for now against Netanya last Sunday, photo: Barney Ardov
What happened to your wife in the last months? What did you hear from her?
"If I was with her, then she was calm and felt safe. The children missed me and if something happened to my little son, even if it wasn't something big, it bothered me that I wasn't there protecting him. My wife had difficult moments and I wasn't there for her, it's very difficult. We Many years together and it was important to me to return and be the man who would protect his family. This is a basic feeling of a father."
Did she watch the last home game?
"Obviously, she was excited at home, she saw it on TV, but she was happy to see me. She wanted to be with me in this special moment, but it wasn't possible. Then she wrote in Hebrew on Instagram, 'See you soon'."
Cherry at dawn.
Special essay, photo: Barney Ardov
"Yankel' is like my grandfather"
When Sherry starts talking about the farewell match for Sami Ofer, in which Maccabi Haifa beat Maccabi Netanya 0:4, he starts to tear up.
"I have two hearts," he points to his chest, "the first is Maccabi Haifa and the second is the family. So the first half of my heart was sad for the club, but the second half was happy for the family. I am full of gratitude and appreciation for Yankel' Shahar and Uzi I hope they helped me. I'm leaving Maccabi Haifa in the best place there is. Although they wanted me to stay, they sacrificed a lot to let me go, even though they wanted me here. I told Yankel'a and Uzi that they don't own me. Uzi is my father and Yankel'a He's like my grandfather, that's how I see them and I was happy that they also treat me that way. We don't have a contract, it's word for word."
What moment will you take with you from this evening?
"Two moments. In the first I cried, and suddenly I saw around me players like Daniel Sondgren with teary eyes. The second moment was when I looked around and saw parents and children crying because I was leaving, some of them said they didn't want to see any more football and it's amazing. I only experienced these things at Maccabi Haifa. I've been in many teams before, but I haven't played anywhere for five years and the relationship created here is extraordinary, amazing. After the warm-up the crowd called me and I was very excited, I received love from the first moment, during the game and after it. Me and my family can only say thank you to the fans and the club for this love From the first day in Israel."
Sherry celebrates with the championship plate against the background of the crowd.
Treats every fan, photo: Alan Shiver
"At first they didn't understand me"
Throughout the interview, fans come to the table where Charon Sherry is sitting and physically hug him.
"Thank you for everything and please come back in the summer," asks one of the fans, who brings her two children to take one last photo.
Another fan takes out of his car a shirt with the number 10, which he bought a few hours before, and asks the star to sign it as a souvenir.
The patience Sherry has for everyone who approaches him is extraordinary, but illustrates well the deep bond that has formed between him and the club he has played in for the past four and a half years.
"I promise to come back," he says to anyone who asks what will happen in a few months, "we built something big here and it will continue."
Sherry joined Maccabi Haifa less than five years ago - a team that was then in its worst years - and was a significant part of the huge change.
Since signing the Greens have won three championships, were in the group stage of the Champions League, the Conference League and the Europa League.
The club also won twice the title of Champion of Champions and the Toto Cup.
From the point of view of the audience, no less important was the transfer of hegemony from Maccabi Tel Aviv to Carmel. In five years, Charon Sherry was involved in seven goals against the Yellows and each of them had a meaning in the turnaround.
"The first thing I did was ask for a championship grant," he says, "at first they didn't understand me, but I told everyone - 'If you don't believe in it, then where will we get? How will we get a championship?'. So they gave me what I asked for. Over time we brought character For the team, the mentality of winners. I like the pressure there is in Maccabi Haifa because it is the biggest club in Israel and it did me good."
Sherry in action.
The first season was not easy, photo: Barney Ardov
Did you believe the change would be so big? Will you take so many degrees?
"You talk about titles, but it's more than that. People would talk to me about the derby against Hapoel Haifa, which sometimes win and sometimes lose, and I didn't understand it. I saw people stressed about the derby and I didn't understand what was going on here, I told them, 'We are Maccabi Haifa, what's going on? About you?'. Little by little it changed, the team became Viennese with players and people made of champions."
Sherry adds in the same line: "Not long ago we beat Maccabi Tel Aviv in the league, but we didn't celebrate too much in the dressing room because we beat our biggest rival.
As far as I'm concerned, it's something that needs to be regular at Maccabi Haifa, who must beat Maccabi Tel Aviv. We knew that if we lost, our season was over, with a 13 point gap it would be over. But we won, and now it's a one point gap and not 10. I knew it would transfer the momentum To us, now we have to keep him with us."
Maccabi Haifa went through a professional upheaval last summer.
Key players such as Omar Atzili, Muhammad Abu Fani and Josh Cohen left, as well as the almost omnipotent coach Barak Bakr - the man who brought the Greens back to the forefront of Israeli football.
Lior Refaelov.
A special connection between the two, photo: Alan Shiver
You have undergone a big change this season. In the match against Maccabi Netanya, only four team players from last season played. The professional team has changed of course. Tell me about this period.
"It's half a season that felt like several years. It's natural that the team changed, players leave for other teams, earn more, but the team gained a lot of young players. It took them time to adapt, and we brought in new players who also took time to acclimate. Now everything is on the right track, the system Berea, the coach Masai Dago is doing an amazing job. From the first moment I told him 'I will always stand behind you', and so does he to me. I have only known him for a short time, but the relationship between us is amazing. When I told him I was leaving, he almost cried. Of course there was respect between us, he is the coach And he decides, but Masai told me that we are one and that he would stand behind me in everything, so it was very difficult for me to tell him about my decision."
What is happening differently this season? What is done differently and yet there is success?
"The secret is that we have the base, so whoever Yankela Shahar and Uzi Mor bring will fit into our squad. Me, Dolev Haziza, Lior Rafalov, Daniel Sondgren and the foreigners, like the rest of the players, will know how to welcome the new ones and help them. That's how we did with each Whoever joined in this year. The secret is a strong and healthy dressing room."
You talked about Rafaelov. Maybe tell about your close relationship with him. He is your travel partner from Tel Aviv to Kfar Galim, you bonded quickly. What is your influence on the young people and what do you do with them on a personal level?
"Lior and I have played in good places in Europe and the young players know that we have no ego and we will give them all the tools to succeed. Sometimes we didn't have to speak to get them to follow us. Not because we are the biggest, it just happens. I didn't know Lior before he arrived, but from the moment The first in the dressing room we became close, as if we had been together for 10 years. Lior was by my side in my difficult moments in Israel when I was alone. I am happy if another player scores and so does Lior, and that is how it goes between all players. It is true that I am the captain, but I am not looking for attention Lev. Lior is similar to me in this. We have a common appreciation for the club and the management, that's why we closed together the bonuses for the promotion to the European League and I wish we would also do the same with the qualification from the playoff stage of the Conference League. There were talks we had together with Yankela, Uzi and Itzik Ovadia and on a personal level I spoke Dutch is comfortable with his children because they were in Belgium and understand Flemish. It's a similar language. We have an amazing connection and it will continue."
What do you think will happen with Maccabi Haifa after you leave?
"We are in our best moments now, but there is no reason for things to change. At the beginning of the season we lost points in places we shouldn't have lost, but we knew that there was an amazing squad here and that things would turn around, the good atmosphere would take over and good things would happen. Even without me, no one has anything to worry about, we have a team Better than any other team in Israel."
What is your greatest moment at Maccabi Haifa?
"The goal against PSG of course. Besides, every goal I scored against Maccabi Tel Aviv was big for me.
At 1:1 against them last season, with the goal in the 90th minute in Bloomfield, I was in the clouds."
How important was it to you to leave with a Toto Cup win?
"I can only regret to the fans that we didn't win the Toto Cup, but I can assure them and the club that this only gives me motivation to come back in the summer and win with Maccabi Haifa in the future every possible title."
I don't know why, it feels like a breakup interview.
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"This week my wife wrote on the Hebrew networks 'see you soon' because we really want to come back. I want to finish my career at Maccabi Haifa, to be clear. I have a contract but it is much more than a contract. This club is special for me, I gave these fans something. I don't like To talk about myself, but I really did so much for them, and they are not another audience for me, but a part of my heart. I want Ches to recover and return to Israel in a completely different state. To be here again. I feel like home here."
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