Maccabi sports director Jordi Cruyff sums up the first half of the 2014/15 season: "The main strength in the squad is in the solidarity"
Maccabi Tel Aviv sports director Jordi Cruyff marked the end of the first round of Israeli Premier League games by giving a press conference, where he answered questions regarding all aspects of the club's performance. Looking back on the first half of the season, Mr Cruyff reflected: "We've had a lot of difficulties during the first five months. It started with the European campaign when we had to play six away games. Then we had a change of coach. A new coach comes in, doesn't have a pre-season with the players and has to work with a squad that's already there. It takes time of course but I do think that overall Maccabi Tel Aviv played twelve games, we won nine games, we lost two and one draw. In these three games we lost points it was two times in the 93rd minute. So overall when a team wins nine out of twelve games normally you don't have any reason to complain, especially again in the last months with the punishment that we've had to play again seven away games in a row. It's not easy, especially when you see our home record which in the last years at least from what my memory brings we've had an excellent Bloomfield home record".
One journalist remarked that while the results may have been consistently good, the quality of play was not, especially from the summer signings. Cruyff: "I don't feel the same. When you know that new players come inside then you start the training with 200% in the pre-season because you know that there is more quality in the squad. I don't see that as a negative point, I see it as a very positive point. The fact is that every next two, three days after the games the media spend a lot of energy and time to talk about players who didn't play. I think that's a compliment to the squad of Maccabi Tel Aviv that actually there are a lot of very good players. There is a lot of competition, everybody is giving what they can give to Maccabi. Of course the trick is to hopefully improve everybody to get better, that's what we're working on every day". Jordi was also asked if he noticed any difference between this season's squad and the previous two years: "As I said before there's more quality in the squad, there's more competition so obviously everybody wants to play and expects to play. This is part of competitiveness and as I said before I only think it's a positive sign for Maccabi Tel Aviv. The main strength in the squad in the last two or three years is in the solidarity, the union inside the dressing room and the players accepting the situation and working hard and putting their energy in trying to convince the coach to be in the first eleven. But of course sometimes it isn't easy to be some days without play but you can do two things. You can complain or you can work harder. The ones who take the second option are normally the ones who win in the end".
And what did Jordi think current head coach Pako Ayestaran's personal contribution was? "Every coach is different for sure. If I analyse it, the championship for Oscar was difficult because we had a small squad. We were lucky we didn't have the European games, we didn't have that extra difficulty. With Paulo we had a better squad for sure but we also had the European games and it's extremely difficult, and the history of Israeli football already says that it's very difficult to do well in Europe and also win the league. This year I think with Pako we're playing very attacking football, and you can see that in our goalscoring stats. We create normally a lot of chances and we're trying to play an open and very passing football. But of course a coach has to adapt because Israel is a little bit different than other countries in the way the football is played and for a foreign coach it's sometimes difficult to get that. But I think he's coped really well. He came in a very difficult moment for us where Oscar left at the end of August and you need to bring in a new coach. His first game I think was a derby, then one game after another. Then there were three calls-up for the national team, or two, so we missed the players for twelve days each time so it's not been an easy ride. But I do think he came with a very positive energy and he's letting the team play attacking football so in that aspect we cannot complain".
Again the question arose as to Maccabi's dependence on their star midfielder Eran Zahavi. Jordi: "Maybe we should apologise for having Eran on the squad. In terms of statistics, Eran is a magnificent player. In that case the team has a lot of goals from Eran and a lot from his character and competitiveness and we want other players to look at his competitiveness. And the fact that he's a player, and I admire him because I was never like this, who after sixteen games in row scores fifteen, I lost the count, and still comes the next day to training and is the player who works the hardest. For me I can only hold up my hands and say 'Wow', great respect, and I hope he continues. You're right, he has a big percentage of our goals, but on the other hand, if you look at it almost all the goals of Maccabi Tel Aviv are scored by attackers. So yes, when we look on paper in the stats he takes a lot of our goals and a lot of our assists but there are a lot of other players who are also scoring, especially attackers, and this gives a good feeling that more people can fill in". Is he concerned Eran might leave the club? "Basically, Eran is a Maccabi Tel Aviv player. I mean Zahavi had a contract already and in the summer we understood that he's doing a very good job and we rewarded him. And we didn't do it by obligation or because his contract was finishing. We tried to show him that we try to be fair with our players and that was the case. Whatever will happen, honestly, it's not really in our hands you know. For sure Maccabi doesn't want to sell their best players, especially not in January. We'll try to hold on and we'll try to make ourselves better and not to make ourselves worse. But you see it, sixteen games in a row, he's not thinking about anything else than the next game and to win and to win and to win. That's his character. The only thing I can say is that from my point of view Eran's dedication is 100% towards the club and he says all the time that he's happy here and I can only say the same for my own opinion. I'm also only dedicated for the next transfer period and we're working on the squad for the future. We're renewing for Dor Micha, we renewed with Dor Peretz, we're working on steps we feel will make the squad stronger for the future. So our full dedication, mine also, is 100% for Maccabi".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I01TpNy6m7Q
And what about Mr Cruyff himself, will he be staying on? "I'm really not thinking about it. I know that normally to win the league one year it's something that can happen but the most difficult thing is to maintain it. We got it the second year and even more difficult is to do it the third year and honestly I'm only focused on winning this league more than ever, also to have a good run in the Cup. I also think I'm only focused on thinking about the future of this club and the best way for Maccabi to keep the best players. And I'd like to stress that I'm happy in my job. I like the club, I like the country, I like the fans. It's not easy sometimes but overall I can only say I'm enjoying and I've enjoyed.You know how my contract in this club is. Even though it's three years, it's always been, on both sides, a very loose contract, not difficult to throw me out or to leave. And we've never even had a minimum discussion about that so really I don't think it's relevant to have a piece of paper or not and the dates. In my case I can assure you it's never been relevant".
Another frequent query of the first half of the season has concerned the relative absence on the pitch of summer signing, striker Eden Ben Basat. Cruyff: "I learned one thing, probably learned it a long time ago. Never believe what you read in the newspapers. Stop reading because normally what you read the opposite is the truth. But in this case about Eden I can only say there's a lot of competition in the team. And we're in a situation now that if Eden would play others would say, ah, but why is Tal Ben Chaim not playing and why is Prica not playing or Badash or any attacker. That's competition, that's football, and the best people play and the most important message that we see here is that our coaches are independent to make their own decisions. And you see that in the last three years that we have coaches with personality, with a clear own opinion about football, and from the club there is never pressure, you must do this or you must do that. Coaches have the freedom to pick the team as they think with the tactics as they think has to be played and we respect that. Our job as a club, and also my personal job, is to give the coach the best possible squad, the most compensated, balanced squad, so that he has a big buffet so he can choose for every game what he's going to serve. That's our situation and we're happy with all our players, and I can clearly say that with all of them. You never know how situations go, players have offers or are not happy, then the doors are always open to talk. But at the moment I have not heard anything in that direction from anybody. As I said before, we have a squad with a lot of solidarity between the players. And as I also said, when you have a good squad with good players, these things can happen. This is football and in Maccabi Tel Aviv there is competition and it's a good sign that we have this competition". A second summer signing hardly seen on the pitch at all is defender Yuval Shpungin. Jordi: "If he has had two or three injuries, and now again it seems we might miss him for a while, that's life, that's football. You cannot control injuries and things like that. Of course we brought him with the best intentions and he's training with the best intentions. He's a guy with a Maccabi Tel Aviv heart".
When asked about the hostility between some of the Maccabi fans and yet another summer signing, Nigerian midfielder Nosa Igiebor, Mr Cruyff preferred to relate to the question on a far more general level: "My message to the fans is basically that with the hard times we've had, support the whole team because nothing will change. Coaches decide on what they see every day at training and they're not going to change their minds because someone likes a bit more or less, or because I like a bit more or less. And the fact is, I brought the players so if you have to complain to someone, complain to me, boo me, shout to me, insult me, but support the players because the players in the end are valid players for Maccabi Tel Aviv and they're players who defend their club in the best way possible. And there are some players who for me, I will always have that extra bit of gratitude inside my heart because they also come in difficult moments. I remember Prica coming a lit bit after the first conflict we had, a short political conflict, and he came with three small kids and I say bravo. Also with Nosa. The guy came in the middle of the conflict and he said I love Israel, I trust Israel, I'll take it. And for me he will always have that extra respect when most people are thinking about the way out he actually had the courage to come in. So first of all for me that's a sign of respect. Second of all, I just think he's a very good player and you will see in the end that this guy is actually a super valid player. If we want to win a championship we have to be united. And the fans have always pushed us forward in many games and I'm super proud and the players are proud when we travel with thousands of people to away games, even when it's raining or storming, they're always there you know. It's an unbelievable feeling and it keeps this club alive and pushes us forward to want even more".
A question also arose about the young midfielder Ben Reichert, whose somewhat turbulent behaviour in the past has also made him a target of fan abuse. Jordi: "We will support the players, we always do. In terms of some players, listen, players are young sometimes and they make mistakes, like every human being. Sometimes with players it's not about punishing, it's about educating. Reichert for me is a very good talent, We think he's a very interesting player. For sure he's a player with a lot of character. The fact that he got a lot of yellow cards in the last season, his first serious season, it means he's a guy with character and we need people with character at Maccabi". And goalkeeper Juan Pablo, hasn't he also been under some criticism of late? "These decisions who plays and doesn't play are decisions made by coaches, who see these players every single day, every day. And I respect the opinion of all the professional coaching staff and they decide. But yes, I think he's a super capable goalkeeper, as I also think Barak (Levy) is a super talented goalkeeper. But as I said we've had a very difficult time, especially with the radius matches. So I just say let's put all our energy, everything, to be strong, to be united. Let's just go to win this, you know, just do our best to win this. We will do everything but of course we need to be all united in that".
The Maccabi sports director was also asked about his relationship with the club's new CEO, Martin Bain: "He's been working many years in a big club. Rangers I'm telling you is a club full of passion, ups and downs and a lot of pressures. He's come here and he's seen a lot of things happening, the derby, the punishments, all kinds of things, probably he feels at home in Israel. But I think our relationship is good, it's healthy, it's clear, there's good communication. Each of us has the department we work on. I'm responsible for this part, he's responsible on the bigger stage and we collaborate and that's the way it should be". And is reaching the Champions League still one of the club's targets? "That's the dream, that's always the dream. We try, and we were actually quite close to some interesting things in the summer. We had a good list, a very interesting list, and you have to understand that every year it gets more difficult to sign players because there's competition, there's level, we cannot guarantee minutes to anyone anymore. . It's getting harder to make this team better with responsible spending but I don't complain about anything. We have Financial Fair Play, which is a UEFA thing and is really being controlled nowadays so we are not anymore in a situation where you can just do what you want, it's not allowed anymore. I've never really read a lot about it in Israel but I can assure you it's an issue that all the teams that will play in Europe are suffering from these studies and we'll also have to be responsible with the numbers".
Finally, Jordi Cruyff had a word to say about ex-Maccabi coach Paul Sousa, who has now led his new club, FC Basel, to the knock-out stages of the Champions League: "I'm happy for him because he works very hard. He's very passionate in everything, from before the season starts until after the season is finished. Super passionate. He invests a lot of time in his job, his tactics, in studying and I admire that. It's nice to see that somebody left the club to go on a higher stage and he's doing well. ".
