Maccabi will begin the Playoff with a home match against 4th place Maccabi Netanya aiming to return to winning ways following the draw against Hapoel Haifa and the defeat to Hapoel Jerusalem. Dor Peretz spoke ahead of the match and said: “We face a totally different match against Netanya which is very messy with plenty of turnovers because they are pressing really high. We are preparing for this match in a totally different manner from the way we prepared to the previous match. We are preparing for this match and as long as we do what the coach asks us to do on the pitch I believe we will win.”
With the team currently struggling to bounce back and dig themselves out of difficult situations, Peretz, said: “We are the first ones to be disappointed with the situation, that we can’t win matches where the situation is challenging even when we take an early 1-0 or 2-0 lead. We are the first ones to be disappointed and need to take responsibility on such situations. We need to show a lot more character, to clinch such matches even when we are not on top of our form – to collect these points which is important at this stage of the season.”
The 27-year-old added: “When the situation is challenging there is a higher learning curve for us as players. Dealing with challenging situations is where we are tested” Peretz said. “When we led the table with 30 points under Vladimir Ivic and everything was comfortable, is not the time to test your resilience. A team is tested when the situation is tough, and at challenging times I expect us to show up at every match, and rise for the occasion.”
Peretz, who grew up and won trophies at Maccabi but also experienced some difficult spells throughout his career, summed up: “Everyone who is part of this club, is drawn to it to an extent it becomes an integral part of his life. The coach sits here besides me and despite the fact he has only been here for just over two months – one can see how important this club is to him. We would obviously not want to be in the situation that we are right now, but we must all take responsibility as players and staff to ensure this season ends with a better taste.”
