Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Omer Atzili sat down at training camp to discuss a myriad of topics from the fans, to the past season and the campaign which they are about to embark on:
ראיון עם עומר אצילי
Last season’s ups and downs:
“I began last season pretty well and the club was in a decent place on the table, plus we made it into the Europa League Group Stages. But then I got hurt and was out of action for 5-6 months. It wasn’t easy to watch especially when I thought that I could help out. I was so hungry as everything had been going my way. All I wanted to do was touch the ball and play and I scored a couple of goals near the end of the campaign. I hope that I’ll be able to continue how I ended last season into the upcoming one.”
Lessons learnt from last season:
“We learnt a lot from last season which was not easy. One of the most important things that we did learn was that when you have the chance to help out, you have to and kill the game. If it’s 1:0, make it 2:0 and then 3:0. If it’s 0:0, take advantage of the first opportunity to make it 1:0 and then win the match.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming campaign:
“We’ve turned the page and we know what we want from ourselves and where we have to improve, what our goals are. That’s how we will take the championship and various titles.”
Personal expectations:
“My personal goal is to win a meaningful title which is something I still haven’t done in my career. I’m going to soon be 25 and I don’t want to miss out.”
The importance of players who have grown up through the Maccabi Youth Department playing a role in the upcoming campaign:
“We can see their importance in the training sessions. The players who have grown up in the Maccabi system can help out a lot as they have the Maccabi values, being winners and battling for titles every season. That’s what the Club is looking for. They understand what’s expected to be a part of Maccabi’s first team after playing for other clubs in the league. We’re happy that they are here and I hope that they will all succeed.”
The importance of the fans:
“The fans should expect to see a new Maccabi and a Maccabi that knows what we want from ourselves and knows what our goals are. Together with the fans we can play well both at home and away and we also want to make sure that our opponents will fear us. I hope that’s what will happen this season.”
