Maccabi held a press conference this morning ahead of the Tel Aviv derby. Sheran Yeini: "We have to be ready for them"
Maccabi Tel Aviv are making their final preparations for tomorrow's Tel Aviv derby, hosted by Hapoel Tel Aviv at Bloomfield Stadium at 8.55pm. In light of the expected crowds and the extensive security checks at the gates, Maccabi fans are requested to arrive at the stadium as early as possible. Security officials have also requested to remind fans that no-one without a ticket should appear at the stadium and that fans attempting to sit in the terraces of the opposing club will be removed from the stadium without any recourse to a ticket refund.
Prior to the team's final practice ahead of the match, the club held a press conference where head coach Pako Ayesteran replied to a question concerning recent injuries to his squad: "It's been nearly three or four weeks that we couldn't train with a full squad and this week I wasn't used to training with 21 players like has happened in the last weeks. It's a great feeling to be honest". Asked if recently injured central defender Carlos Garcia would return to the squad, the Spaniard replied: "I will play as I told you last time with eleven for sure. Which ones they will be, for now, I have to decide".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfcaiXUXzCA&feature=youtu.be
As is often the case before "big" matches like the derby, reporters were keen to know if the team's preparations were any different. Ayestaran: "No, nothing different because it's one more game with three points that we have to try to get tomorrow and the only thing we have to have clear is that in the derbies nothing counts. The last performances, they don't count, the position in the table, because you know that everyone is ready to fight a little bit more than in any other game and sometimes the performances level". But isn't the pressure on the players different? "No, not really. They have no pressure. They have enough experience to know that the pressure is just to perform and to follow the way we are playing. If we do this for sure we will play well. And sometimes when you play well, you get a result".
Reminded that Hapoel Tel Aviv's level is lower than at previous derbies, Pako was asked if that made a difference: "Not really, because you never know. Yesterday (Barcelona head coach) Luis (Enrique) woke up in Camp Nou. Barcelona were beaten 0-1 and in this case you never know. In one game in a short period I don't know what will happen. I hope that in the long term of the season we will be better than them but in one game anything can happen".
As for suggestions that the fact that Maccabi were clear favourites might influence his players, the head coach responded: "No, I'm sure it doesn't. Especially watching them yesterday training, because I am amazed at the level of intensity they are able to put on at the training session, how focused they are at every training session. And as I told you last week I am in a big trouble at the moment to choose the eighteen and choose the eleven because most of them deserve to be in the squad and many of them deserve to be in the eleven. In this case it's a difficult time for me. And I told them yesterday, the last week and yesterday (at practice) we just needed a referee and two linesmen and it would be a proper game".
On Wednesday night against Ashdod FC, Maccabi opened with the same eleven as in the previous match for the first time this season. It was suggested that might be the reason the team looked so good. Pako: "Of course it always affects. When you have a good performance you try to stick with the same players, but it isn't my target. My target is, whoever plays, that Maccabi will play at the same level. I told them I expect that in a few weeks that whoever plays will be able to keep that performance. And if we make four or five changes I think this squad has to be able to perform at the same level. This is my target".
Team captain Sheran Yeini also had a word to say about tomorrow's derby: "Derbies are always exciting games and for both clubs there's a lot of prestige involved, both are looking to win and to make a good show of it because at a derby anything can happen".
As for the team's playing style, the veteran international said: "We have a style we want to play and we'll continue to develop it, improve ourselves in that respect. Hapoel will come into the game very hungry and very keen to win and we have to be ready for them". Concerning the defensive strategy he added: "As a team we take a lot of chances, and we've conceded on account of a strong opponent or some error on our part. We feel very confident about the defensive ability of the whole team in every game. Every team wants to score without conceding, and every time we do concede it makes us angry. We don't want to ship goals at all".
And how are the team feeling a day before the game? Yeini: "We feel the same way about every match, there's no special training for the derby, every match is the same in that regard. There isn't a player who feels 100% sure of his place in the squad, for every position we have a number of good players so everybody raises their game and tries to prove himself at every practice. Anyone who doesn't get to play will be disappointed but that changes all the time. It just makes us better. Sure, there's a lot of competition but the season's just started. Towards the end those who have played less may very well get their chance. It's a healthy squad, there's a lot of competition and everyone is fighting for his place, but it's all done with mutual respect among the players, of that you may be sure".
