Maccabi captain Sheran Yeini after playing his last match, a goalless draw, at Kiryat Shmona: "I hope Maccabi will finally win there next season"
Last night's goalless draw at Ironi Kiryat Shmona means that once again Maccabi Tel Aviv have failed to beat their northernmost rivals on their home ground throughout an entire season. Nonetheless, team captain Sheran Yeini is inclined to see this particular glass as being half full: "I'm not really disappointed. It was an intensely fought match and difficult for both sides. Evenly balanced. Kiryat Shmona deserve a lot of credit, and we fought for every ball as well".
Yeini, who will be leaving Maccabi in the summer to play in the Dutch Eredivisie making this his last match at the northern outpost of the Israeli Premier League, added: "There are a number of venues that are always hard to play at and Kiryat Shmona is one of them. I hope that next season my ex-teammates will be able to turn their luck around and win there. We gave it all we had but Kiryat Shmona are a strong side and you have to respect that. Even with the draw we keep our eight-point lead at the top but it's not our way to be calculating points. We want to win the title as quickly as possible".
The Maccabi captain also had a word to say about the visiting fans: "All season the team's supporters have been pitching up at away games and it makes them feel like home ties. There were moments out there that I started to get tired but when you hear the fans it just gives you an extra push to carry on to the final whistle. I feel very close to the Maccabi fans and I'm grateful for all the support they've shown me in the past. And I'll be thanking them again before long, that's for certain."
.
