Maccabi Tel Aviv captain Eran Zahavi spoke to the media about the upcoming UEFA Champions League second-leg, second round qualifying match tomorrow night at Bloomfield Stadium
"It's a huge honor to be the Maccabi Tel Aviv captain as the club believes in me both from a professional standpoint but also as a leader. Last match in Malta was not a good game from many different aspects and we have to look forward to the upcoming match and continue to advance in Europe, that's the main goal for all of us right now. During training camp I had a regular type of injury and it got a bit aggravated, but most importantly I'll be able to play tomorrow and lead the team onto the pitch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYKzVKzD3gg
Everyone likes to talk about last season, but what was last year, was, and we have to put the past aside. We have to look forward to the next game because every day in football is a new day. This is our chance to play in Europe and we have to grab this opportunity and achieve that goal. Tomorrow is an important match that we haven't even played yet, so everyone from the players to the media to the supporters need to relax and wait to see us on the pitch."
Zahavi also talked about his position, other expectations for the upcoming match and for the season that lies ahead: "I'm not sure what position I'll be playing for this coming season even though playing as a false #9 worked well last year as I enjoyed it, but we will see what will be for this season. I know that I am an important player on Maccabi and can play a number of roles.
However, right now I am focusing on the upcoming match and nothing more. There are a lot of very good teams in the Champions League and it will be a very hard task to advance. We need to realize that the Israeli league is the most important competition for us because if we don't win the league there won't be any opportunity to make it to the Champions League."
The captain also discussed the current team: "It was very important to keep our squad together for this year. In fact that is one of the biggest things we have as we are the best team in Israel. We didn't bring any new players in January because the club didn't feel that there were any better players available than what we already had. If a player comes to the team and can be a huge help, that's great, but that's Jordi Cruyff's role. Gili Vermouth continues to be a very important part of our club and we have to give him time to continue to adjust and everything will be ok.
Tomorrow night at Bloomfield Stadium the situation will be totally different as we will have our supporters behind us and that is something we have all been waiting for, a chance to play a European match at home once again."
