Two months have passed since Sagiv Yehezkel came back to Maccabi Tel Aviv. In the same deal, Fadi Najar also arrived and has quickly turned into one of the mainstays in the Maccabi “Shachar” Starting XI. This week, the defender along with three other Maccabi representatives returned from the qualifying stages of the Under-19 European Championships where he made two appearances and was able to score a goal and assist on another.
Just prior to the youth team’s return to action after the international break we caught up with Najar for a short talk about football, the National Team what he does during his free time:
It’s been two months since you joined Maccabi. How have you acclimated so far?
“I feel good. I really feel like I’m part of the team and have made many new friends. Last season I was with Hapoel Tel Aviv and it was fine as well but now I’m with a much better Club that can give me much more so I’m really happy to be here. I believe that moving from Maccabi Netanya to Hapoel and now to Maccabi has given me a lot of experience. I was able to work with many coaches and players, much more than the average player.
At Maccabi you’ve been playing as a central defender, however your natural position is left back:
“I’m currently playing two different positions right now. When I first arrived I was playing as a left back and then Patrick van Leeuwen moved me over to the central defender position, which is a role that I believe I’m doing well at. I can also play left back. Truthfully I enjoy being a left back but I have no problem playing as a central defender as well.”
About the Under-19 Israel National Team campaign:
“I had a good tournament along with the whole National Team. I came in after Maccabi “Shachar” had won the Derby so I was full of energy and I was able to both score and pick up an assist in the second and third matches that I played in. I’ve been been a part of the National Team program since the Under-16 level and we have a great bunch of guys who are terrific friends.”
On Maccabi’s goals this year:
“I think we are getting to know one another much better now. It took us some time and this Saturday you’ll see that we will be even better. Our goal at Maccabi is clear, to battle for the championship. But in order to do that we will have to work very hard.”
The desire to play for the First Team:
“I was able to play for the First Team with Maccabi Netanya and I’ve trained a bit with Maccabi’s Senior side and it’s a great feeling. It was really good to feel apart of the best team in the country. Not only that, but I felt that I improved just by playing with these types of players and professionals.”
What do you like to do in your free time that’s not football related?
“I love to fish. On Sunday we have an off day and I usually go up to Nahariya to fish with my cousin. I really love eating fish as well, it’s a great hobby. There are similarities between fishing and football. Timing and gut feelings are things that are really crucial in both. When you are fishing, even when you’ve caught one you must be very gentle when you are actually pulling it out of the water and reeling it in. So you need to have a certain feeling when doing it and also you need to to have specific timing or else you won’t be able to capture it. As you can see, these are attributes that are also part of being a footballer.”
