The new head coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s, Ziv Arie, will inaugurate his term this evening with the Youth League "Super Cup" against Maccabi Haifa: "I'm looking to combine method with results"
With new head coach Ziv Arie standing on the touchline, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" will officially kick off the 2013/14 season tonight with a "Champion of Champions" (Super Cup) match against Maccabi Haifa at the National Stadium in Ramat Gan at 7.35pm (free entrance). Amir Turgeman, who held the Under-19s coaching position for the past four years, has become Maccabi Tel Aviv's chief scout and now it is the turn of last year's Under-17 coach, Ziv Arie, to take up the reins in the Youth Team dugout. For the 41 year-old Arie, this is the latest step in his advance up the Maccabi Youth Division coaching ladder. Prior to his year with the Under-17s, Arie spent three years coaching the Under-16s: "I've been a football coach for almost sixteen years and with the exception of two years as the Youth Division director of football I've spent all my time with here at Maccabi coaching youth teams at every level".
Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar"'s match tonight against Maccabi Haifa marks the beginning of a brand new challenge for coach Arie: "Coaching the Under-19's is a different story altogether, but from a professional point of view I'm fully prepared. I know the Youth Division here inside out and there were no great surprises for me at my first training session with the lads. I hope the team will play the way I like to see them play, with pace and speed and clever combinations, and at the same time with tactical maturity and the ability to get results. This is my first season as Youth Team coach and I hope there won't be any surprises, but if there are we have a whole staff of professionals to help us face up to them".
The Youth Team squad underwent an entire face lift this season as most of the new members joined Arie from his former Under-17 squad: "The Youth Division's philosophy is to choose somewhat younger players with well-developed potential over somewhat older players who may be of help in the short term. We could have gone with more of the permitted "Over-19s" but we prefer a mix that includes more 17 year-olds and just a few 18 year-olds. As Youth Team squads go, this one is a bit on the young side but that won't affect our expectations in the least".
And so far the new coach is concerned, those expectations are clear: "We want to look like a senior team and I'd be delighted if some of the lads get called up for senior squad duty this season, that would be brilliant. Apart from that, we're in it for all the titles, no compromises, this is Maccabi Tel Aviv we're talking about. Obviously part of the Youth Team preparation is focused on winning titles, but not at the expense of the method. If we need to give a player more experience, or get a younger player with potential out on the pitch, we'll do it. And if decisions like that mean losing a match or two we won't celebrate but we'll stick to our principles and do our best to combine them with good results. If the method is wrong you won't win matches in the long run anyway and with the kids and the talent we have in the squad there's no reason we shouldn't be at the top and that's what we're going for".
So far tactics are concerned, Arie is trying to learn from the best: "With all due modesty I can say that with the Under-16s and 17s I coached the last few years the model has been Barcelona, and our main efforts were in trying to apply elements of passing the ball and pressing the opponent back. We may not be on their level but that was the guiding principle with certain adjustments". Well, the level may not be Barcelona but so far facilities are concerned, Arie is confident his team will have everything they need during the course of the season: "At Maccabi Tel Aviv we treat the kids like we treat the seniors and our facilities here are at least as good as those at the senior clubs in the second division. The club have also come to our aid and financed the introduction of the "Team System" to our training which is improving the players' physical fitness and we're already seeing the effects. We have full co-operation with the senior team, we're in constant touch with (senior team head coach) Paulo (Sousa) and (first team manager) Benny Tabak concerning our players".
After tonight's "Champion of Champions" match, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" will kick off their season in the Youth Premier League with a home tie next Tuesday September 17th against Hapoel Ra'anana. After seeing his lads play a number of friendlies against other teams in the youth league, Arie gives his assessment of the state of play for the upcoming league season: "Friendlies aren't really a measure of a team across a whole season, but likely as not we'll be seeing the same teams at the top of the table as in the last few years. Maccabi Haifa of course will be tough opponents, they have a group of 17 year-olds with great quality and the "Over-19's" in their squad are also very talented. Apart from them, Beitar Tubruk or Maccabi Netanya may be looking at a good season, and Ashdod FC, they have some very good players as well".
