Striker Barak Badash takes us on a stroll down memory lane, as he describes his first experiences in the world of football
The first match I ever played: "I was ten years old and it was a kids' team (seven-a-side) at Maccabi Netanya. I don't remember the final result, only that we won by a wide margin. My coach was the late Ronny Perry and some of the other kids on the team are now familiar names – Ravid Gazal, Avi Knafo and Kfir Tzokol. That season I was the team's leading goalscorer".
The first match I ever saw: "Semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup, Italy against Argentina. I really wanted Italy to win and the match went to penalties. I was a great admirer of Roberto Baggio and I so much wanted him to score his spot-kick. That was four years before his famous miss. When he did score I did this crazy celebration at home and sprained my ankle. But what really hurt was that Italy lost in the end, both the shoot-out and the World Cup".
The first match I ever went to: "I was born and bred in Netanya, right next to the old "Kufsa" Stadium, so it was only natural that that would be where I'd see my first game. It was in 1995 and I went with my older brother Ran to a match between Maccabi Netanya and Hapoel Kfar Saba. It was a sell-out crowd, Netanya won 3-0 and of course after that we just carried on going to the matches there".
My first senior-team appearance: After finishing the academy at Maccabi Netanya I moved on to Maccabi Hadera in the third division. That's where I took my first steps in a senior team. It was trial by fire, right into a match off the bench. A derby no less, against Hapoel Hadera".
My first senior-team coach: "Baruch Sa'ar was the first coach to give me a chance in the first team at Maccabi Hadera. He's a brilliant coach. He's still at it and we're still in touch, exchanging texts now and then. It was a very good team and in time I became a crucial member, much thanks to Baruch".
My first derby: "That was it, my first senior appearance, Maccabi Hadera against Hapoel Hadera, it doesn't get more coincidental than that. And we won it too, on a late goal by Shlomi Dahan. Not the Shlomi Dahan who played at Dortmund but his nephew. Anyway, I got the assist on that one. But there's another derby I'll never forget. I was playing for Hakoach Amidar Ramat Gan and we had a derby which we won 3-0 with Hapoel Ramat Gan and I scored twice. I've played in a lot of derbies in my career and I've played for three different teams in Tel Aviv but I've never played in a derby between Maccabi and Hapoel and lost. Even when we lost to Hapoel last year I was suspended for accumulating yellow cards".
The first team I supported: "Barcelona of the 1990's, with Romario and later with Ronaldo. Those are my indelible memories as a young fan. It was quite an experience to see Barcelona then and I hardly missed a match. In particular I remember that spectacular 5-0 win against Real with that unforgettable goal by Romario and that brilliant move they're still trying to copy today. What's interesting in that connection is that I'm still a fan and a couple of years ago I took advantage of a mid-week break and flew to the Camp Nou to see them in a Cup tie. Ironically that match ended disappointingly in a goalless draw. When was the last time you remember Barcelona finishing 0-0? It almost never happens and the one time I go, bingo! Even Messi stayed on the bench till half time".
The first player I admired: "Brazil's Ronaldo. In my opinion from what I've seen he's the best-ever striker in world football. And of course I had a big poster of him hanging in my room in Barcelona kit and I followed every move he made. In particular I remember his unforgettable goal against Compostela in La Liga when he cut across half the pitch leaving anyone who got in his way in the dust, even the ones who tried to foul him. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is also a role model for me and not just because we have the same build. He's not just tall and powerful, he also has an amazing technique that's more common among the smaller, more agile forwards. For me he's definitely number two behind Ronaldo".
My first pair of football boots: "Adidas Copa Mondial". One of Adidas' professional models they bought for me at "Rami Sport" in Netanya, where Yoav Ziv also bought his first boots".
My first shirt number: "At the Maccabi Netanya academy I always wore the number 10. When I made the seniors I wore a few different numbers until I settled into my current 23".
The first chant they sang for me: "So far I remember I never heard a chant, except at Hakoach Amidar Ramat Gan where they settled for my name and some applause. When I was at Hapoel Tel Aviv there was also something, but at most of the clubs where I played there was no special chant for me. But the best chant is the one the Maccabi fans sing for me. Not just because it's well done but also because it came as a big surprise, in my very first match at the club, against Hapoel Beer Sheva at Bloomfield. It took me a while to catch on that it was for me but it was really brilliant hearing it my first time out".
The first player I exchanged a shirt with: "I only got to exchange shirts when I played in a European tie, and the first player was Renan Bressan, one of the stand-out players at BATE Borisov who knocked us out in the Champions League play-off when I was at Ironi Kiryat Shmona".
Personal achievements
My first appearance in Europe: "That's when I was at Bnei Yehuda at the start of the 2006/07 season, when the late Nitzan Shirazi was head coach. We played Lokomotiv Sofia in the UEFA Cup qualifiers and unfortunately because of the conflict in Israel we played the home leg in Slovakia. We lost 0-2 and the away leg too, 4-0, and we were out".
My first senior goal: "That one I'll never forget, and it also helped me with a problem I was having with my commander in the army at the time. I was playing for Maccabi Hadera against Maccabi Tzur Shalom. We won 1-0 and I scored the winner after coming off the bench. My commander didn't believe I was a football player and had to leave the base for practice so the morning after the match I came back to the base with a sports newspaper that had in small print: Goalscorer for Hadera – Barak Badash.
My first senior hat-trick: "Do three consecutive League Cups count? I've scored twice in a lot of matches but I'm still waiting for my first senior career hat-trick, and I hope I do it with Maccabi. At the Maccabi Netanya academy I scored a hat-trick when we beat Hapoel Haifa 4-0 at the field in the Ben Tzion neighbourhood in Netanya".
My first title: Championship of League Three North with Maccabi Hadera, even though for budgetary reasons the runners-up got promoted instead of us. Since then I've won two League Cups with Kiryat Shmona, one with Maccabi and of course last year's Premier League title. I hope it won't be the last".
