On the work during the long break: “We had the international followed by a reseeding break and I think that we are one of the only countries to do such a thing, which is fine. To return to play after such a long period of time is not ideal. But on the other hand it allowed us some time to rest mentally which is just as important. It also gave us a chance to work on certain ideas and on how I want to see Maccabi play”.
When asked about the search for a permanent coach, Maccabi’s Head of Football department who has been coaching the team as interim coach, updated: “I think it is also right from my side as well as the club to give you all an update. Over the past few weeks we have been searching for a coach as we are looking for the right profile for Maccabi Tel Aviv. Some of the candidates were interviewed as we are in a very intensive process to find a coach. As soon as we will find a coach, as I said, I will return to my role. There is no surprise that some of the coaches have concerns about coming here for various security or COVID reasons, but like I mentioned earlier we are working very hard with the owner Mitch Goldhar and his representative Jack Angelides strongly involved”.
Answering a question about the effect it might have on the players, Itzhaki replied: “I don’t think it has an effect on the players” he added, “They are professional players. Over the past decade Maccabi changed coaches and I think they are already used to it. On most occasions it was for a good cause as those coaches progressed to big European clubs. We are happy that it became some sort of a greenhouse for coaches who advance to a higher European level. I think the players are professionals who must deal with the change of coaches. I see the progress the players have made recently as I am satisfied with what I see in training as well as the matches we had played. I trust them to complete the job like they had done so far”.
Ahead of the match against LASK that held Maccabi to a 1-1 draw in Austria, Itzhaki added: “This is a very very important match. We are only focused on the task at hand. From the first day I took charge of the team as coach I told the players that I believe in them and that they should only focus on the next game. Up until now we had relatively good games, I have seen progress but we need to continue. It is clearly not where Maccabi should be as we have a lot more work in order to get there. We must do this all together”.
With Maccabi level on points with LASK and having secured qualification to the round of 32, a victory will secure a place in the Round of 16, as Itzhaki highlighted: “We can do something special” Itzhaki added, “To reach this stage in a European competition is a great honour. I am delighted to be at such a position and hope we will complete our task o the pitch so we could reach the target we are aiming for”.
When asked about the importance of winning the group, Itzhaki summed up: “Finishing in top spot is vital as it gives you automatic qualification to the round of 16. It also gives you two more weeks of rest as the second place in the group goes into a playoff so it is very very important to finish top. We arrive at every game in a bid to win so if we win tomorrow and finish first it will be an amazing achievement”.
