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It's been 11 years since Tal Ben Haim last wore the Yellow-and-Blue but Maccabi's new central defender feels like he's back home. While Ben Haim and his teammates are preparing for the upcoming Champions League qualifying match next week, he found the time to tell us about his return to the club, how he's changed and what's better: Stamford Bridge or Bloomfield. Watch the video to find out!

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Coming back to play for Maccabi:

 

It was a great experience to play in England and as the years go by you learn what's needed to do to continue playing in there. Of course, I always followed what Maccabi was doing and this past year I knew that I could come back.

Changes at the club:

 There have been huge changes at Maccabi as the club has become much more professional. From the fitness trainer to the food and the training sessions which are much more intense.

Back to having having training sessions in Hebrew:

It's nice to be here with Eran, Eden, and Tal with whom I've played with on the Israel National Team and it took just a couple of days to get used to being back and I'm happy to be with everyone.

English music in the locker room:

In England most of the music in the locker room was in English but I brought in some Greek music too.

Breakfast in Israel or England:

When I got to England I laughed that the guys ate beans with an omelette, but after four or five years you get used to it and I also started to eat it. It was good, but nothing beats a good Israeli breakfast like my father's vegetable omelette an it's much more tastier.

 Tel Aviv or London:

 Tel Aviv. To workout with a fitness trainer in the morning, eat lunch and then go to the ocean. You can't do this in England and I missed it a lot.

Bloomfield or Stamford Bridge:

Stamford Bridge with Maccabi's fans, that would be a winning combination!

First match at Bloomfield:

I'm already looking forward to the first match at Bloomfield. I'll be like a player coming up from the youth team.

Central defender, midfielder or striker:

I began playing striker with Maccabi as a 6-year old until I was 14. But if you asked me today what other position I would play other than central defender I would say defensive midfielder.

Expectations for the upcoming season:

First of all, I want to help out the younger players with my many years of playing experience. I want to compete for all of the titles and help Maccabi improve in Europe. For me that's a very important mission.