When Hapoel Jerusalem moved up to the national league and was still called "Hapoel Katamon", the understanding in the fan club was that without a strong youth department they have no right to exist.
Even then the expenses were higher than the income, and the professional manager, Shay Aharon, turned to his friend Lior Hoja with an idea: to build a large youth department, with branches in all of Greater Jerusalem.
Until then, Hoxha was involved in community projects that are also related to football, but not in the framework of any team.
When he finished his studies - he went with Aaron on a move that probably changed the future of the club.
With the support of the fans, CEO Uri Sharetzky and the other members of the board, Hapoel Jerusalem were not frightened by the word "process". Recruiting coaches and searching for talent in the neighborhood league in the city, in community centers and wherever possible were part of that process, and today there are 300 children in the youth department.
In the last two or three years on the red side of the city they start picking the fruits.
Jerusalem sold Ahmed Salman, Goni Noor and Lior Kassa for a total sum of approximately NIS 8.5 million.
In terms of a fan club, this is a number that can only be brought in by selling 11,000 subscriptions.
This money drives a wheel that keeps Hapoel Y-M in the Premier League.
He maintains the youth department that was built, but also the senior team.
Lior Kassa in his first interview as a Maccabi Haifa player // Maccabi Haifa
"It makes me feel good to know that today a child who wants to play soccer, prefers to come to Hapoel Jerusalem and not to Beitar," says CEO Uri Sharetzki, "It's a system that works great. Most of the kids are from Jerusalem, but we also have from Modi'in and Mzur Hadassah, and a cooperation agreement with Ma'ale Adumim. The children's preference to come to us is because the road to the top is paved. A talented child will make it all the way, and even those who don't - will receive a complete envelope, also in the matter of education and studies, which is no less important."
"Like a good stew"
Shai Aharon and Lior Hoja played together in Hapoel Jerusalem.
The first became a great symbol in the club, the second retired after an injury at the age of 23 and currently serves as the professional director of the youth department.
Since then they have been friends, but the professional relationship between them, together with Ziv Aryeh as the coach of the senior team, bears fruit.
Arya brings the youngsters up and gives them minutes, but according to Sheretzky it is much more than that.
"Zio knows how to teach football," he explains, "Einho Freda trained with him for a year and a half until he broke out, he polishes them, not in public. Quietly. A lot of hard work and a lot of lack of choice. Why lack of choice? Because we are not a rich club. Slowly the image Bona itself, Ahmed Salman and Guni Noor were sold, now Lior Kasa, and all in one year. We didn't stop their promotion, but on the other hand the club made a profit. It's like a good stew, you put the ingredients in a pot and at the end there is food for everyone."
Ziv Arya.
"Knows how to teach football", photo: Alan Shiver
"Eyes in all Jerusalem"
After the sale of Casa to Maccabi Haifa - one of the most talked about deals in Israeli football in the January window - Ziv Aryeh is already nurturing the next talents.
Apart from the mentioned Freda, Noam Malamud, Awka Ashta and Karem Zoevi are also considered promising talents.
Zoevi, by the way, was born in 2006 and played in the boys' league last season.
The story of Freda, Ashta and Kasa is nothing less than amazing.
The three played together in the neighborhood league, grew up together in the Katamouni neighborhood and came to Hapoel Jerusalem.
"We have eyes all over Jerusalem and the surrounding area, it's important that we don't miss a single talent," Hoja shares in the concept, "We go to schools, help children and accompany them like a family. The story of these three is amazing. It's important to us. At the time, we went to Ferda's school principal to help him with the schedule. She didn't understand why we were the ones who came, but it was important to us to be the ones to help him with his studies."
How strong Hapoel Jerusalem's grip on the youth departments is is evidenced by the fact that Karem Zoevi, born in Tamra, arrived as a child from Maccabi Haifa directly at the club's boarding school.
"They are human beings before they are players," Hoja clarifies, "there is no 'come on, come to training and go home'. It's to take care of everything, otherwise it will be difficult with football as well. Cultivating the young people helped us change policy - there are no more questions in the youth team, only Our players".
Lior Casa.
Grew up in the neighborhoods, photo: Danny Maron
Hapoel Jerusalem entered a great vacuum that existed in the capital.
It has fields in neighborhoods inside and outside the city, coaches who discover talents, and the proximity to almost everywhere, as players in the alumni testify, "helps the children to walk from home to practice and back."
"We realized that we don't have a right to exist if we don't raise players," Sharetzky concludes, "in the end, there is also satisfaction for the audience who sees the children from home filling out the composition of the adult team.
The credit goes to the professionals who work, to Ziv Aryeh who integrates them correctly and improves them, and also to the players themselves, who work hard to succeed."
Tonight in the derby there will be at least two or three players in Hapoel Jerusalem's 11 who at a young age chose red and not yellow, and in the humble club from the capital they promise There are a few more on the way.
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Hapoel Jerusalem.
entered the vacuum, photo: Barney Ardov
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