Maccabi Tel Aviv will say goodbye today, Tuesday to one of the most iconic figures that ever was associated with the club, Shimon Kork, who passed away last night at the age of 72. Kork began working at Kiryat Shalom in 1988 and served as the club’s CEO for 14 years.
There were many achievements during Kork’s time with the club, including three League Championships, two Doubles along with two Israel State Cups. But above all, those at Maccabi remember that while he may have been tough he was a very sensitive individual who led the club to its golden age during the 1990’s.
Today, there will be many people who will say their final goodbyes to the fatherly figure and some have decided to share their thoughts and memories with us:
Goalkeeping coach, Shura Uvarov spoke about his first few days at Kiryat Shalom and getting to know Kork:
“Shimon was the first person to meet me and I’ll always remember the help he gave me during the first few days that I was in Israel, which were not easy at all. He was always with me and didn’t leave me. If something happened at home or if I needed something, Shimon was there. He was so important at Maccabi Tel Aviv and he was the strong man steering the club. The players just loved him and was the one who really put a stamp on the club’s turnaround at the start of the 1990’s. He played a major part in the club’s achievements, accomplishments, championships and cups. He brought the word discipline with him in all aspects. We all were afraid of him but also respected him. He always told the players and anyone connected with the club the truth and didn’t talk about someone behind their backs which wasn’t always the easiest thing to do but we all respected him for that. My daughter, who knew Shimon very well heard about his passing and called me right after the match. This is a very sad day for the club and for Israeli football.”
Amir Turgeman was a young striker that came up from the youth department in 1989 and won’t forget his debut season with the First Team and meeting Kork:
“I was just 17-years old when I was called up to Maccabi’s First Team and Shimon was the first person to welcome me to the team. I was afraid of him right from the get go, from my first meeting with him to the things that I had heard from others. He was very serious and seemed very tough. But the more I got to know Shimon the more I got to see his other side. I remember a story that happened at the end of my first year with the big club.
There was a match against Maccabi Haifa at Ramat Gan that I was promised I would be a part of. The youth club was also slated to play that same Saturday in a crucial match as they were fighting against relegation. On Thursday, Shimon told me that I wouldn’t play with the First Team but with the youth side and I had a hard time trying to hide my disappointment. He saw this and told me just play with the youth team and everything will be alright.
I played with the youth team and we stayed up. The First Team lost 4:1 to Haifa. Between the two matches, Shimon took me to a fish restaurant in Jaffa for lunch and spoke to me about everything under the sun. This put everything into perspective and I began to see that despite his tough outward personality, that he was a very caring and sensitive person, making him into the iconic figure that he was.”
Lira Strauber made his way to Kiryat Shalom in the 1990’s. He’ll never forget the night he received a telephone call from Kork and posted this story on his Facebook Page:
“16 year ago when I was 25 years old, I received a phone call one night during the break. On the other end of the line was this gruff and authoritative voice that said, ‘I hear that you really want to play with Maccabi Tel Aviv?’ I persuaded Avram Grant to take you on a two year contract.You have to make a decision by tomorrow if you’re interested two come here and play second choice keeper to Shura Uvarov.” He ended the conversation light heartedly and said jokingly, ‘Shura is an old man and I don’t know how much energy he has left to play this coming season. Think about it tonight and if you want to join us go to Beilinson Hospital (Emanuel Ofir Z”l was hospitalized there) and meet me at the hospital’s coffee shop.’
The next day I was supposed to meet and sign a 5-year contract with Ironi Ashdod. The rest as they say is history.
That was my first meeting with this amazing person, the man and the legend, the man who was so charming that no one could ever say the word “no” to him. The man whose word was more binding than any contract and the person who cared for all those who wore the Yellow-and-Blue and then Orange during his last years with Bnei Yehuda.”
