In an interview to be published in the match programme for this week's encounter with Bnei Sakhnin, Maccabi Tel Aviv defender Eytan Tibi tells all about his first experiences in the world of football
"Up to this day I have never traded my jersey with another player", says defender Eytan Tibi in an interview for the "First Time" column of the match programme for this week's encounter with Bnei Sakhnin. Tibi, who has plied his trade in the yellow jerseys of Maccabi Netanya and Beitar Jerusalem, and in the white jerseys of the Belgian side Charleroi and Ironi Kiryat Shmona, simply can't understand this urge to get a hold of rival players' shirts. Except once. "In my second appearance for the National team we faced the German side managed by Joachim Löw and after the match I wanted to exchange shirts with Real Madrid's Mesut Özil but it didn't work out".
In this particularly surprising interview, Tibi talks about his first pair of football boots, his first appearances in a senior squad and even his first Derby (hint: It wasn't that long ago). The defender, who has just turned 25, has already celebrated two championships and two League ("Toto") Cups and has now become a fixed element on the Israeli National Team: "Last May I made my first appearance for Israel in a friendly against the Czech Republic. We lost 2-1 in extra time off a goal from David Lafata. After a period of not having played much at Kiryat Shmona, (Israel head coach) Eli Gutman called me up and since then the only match I've missed was the last one against Luxembourg through injury".
Make sure to get to the stadium early and pick up your free copy of the programme that will be handed out at the stadium gates. And in particular check out the special "Read, Collect and Win" section that might very well be your chance at getting a free season ticket for Maccabi Tel Aviv's 2013/14 season.
