Just like all of us, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s players are passing the time at home as they wait for the coronavirus crisis to subside. And just like everybody else, they are concentrating on their hobbies and on getting used to a different daily schedule. We have asked Maor Kandil, Ophir Davidzada and Yonatan Cohen to share a little of what they are getting up to.
Maor Kandil
What TV series or film do you recommend to pass the time?
“When They See Us”
What song are you mainly listening to at the moment?
“Masa U’Matan” by Mosh Ben Ari
How are you managing to keep in shape?
“I’m using an exercise bike at home and doing lots of stretching with elastic bands and weights that I have borrowed from the gym at Kiryat Shalom.”
Do you mainly cook or wash the dishes?
“Neither, I just clear away the trash.”
Which is your FIFA gaming team?
“PSG of course, with Neymar and Mbappe up front in 4-4-2 formation.”
Who is the funniest member of the players’ Whatsapp group?
“Me, of course. No contest!”
What’s your best time in the 100m sprint?
“The last time I ran 100 metres was about eight years ago at the Hadar Yosef athletics track. I ran on my own but still managed to finish second.”
What do you miss more, the anticipation before the game or the joy of winning after the final whistle?
“I just miss playing, I haven’t played much this season.”
Ophir Davidzada
What TV series or film do you recommend to pass the time?
“Peaky Blinders”
What song are you mainly listening to at the moment?
“Livhor Nachon by Amir Dadon.”
What game will you never get fed up watching?
“Barcelona’s 6-1 win over PSG.”
How are you managing to keep in shape?
“We have been given a set programme of fitness tasks to carry out each day, so I’m following that. This is a good opportunity to thank the club for delivering a fitness bike to each player at home for our workouts.”
What do you most miss in the team?
“The friends, the dressing room banter and the laughs.”
Do you mainly cook or wash the dishes?
“I prefer to cook, sometimes it even tastes good.”
Which is your FIFA gaming team?
“PSG.”
Who is the news personality you most enjoy watching on TV?
“Amit Segal.”
Who is the funniest member of the players’ Whatsapp group?
“There are a lot in the group who make us laugh, but for me, Itay Shechter is the funniest of everybody.”
What’s your best time in the 100m sprint?
“I have no idea, it’s been a long time since I ran that distance.”
What do you miss more, the anticipation before the game or the joy of winning after the final whistle?
“Both give me a fantastic feeling of elation. Before the game, when you take to the playing area and the crowd cheers, there is an amazing adrenalin rush, and after you win, there is an intoxicating feeling. But what I miss most of all is just going out there and touching the ball, it’s what I like doing more than anything.”
Yonatan Cohen
What TV series or film do you recommend to pass the time?
“Honestly, I hardly watch any TV series.”
What song are you mainly listening to at the moment?
“I’m mainly listening to Spanish music.”
What game will you never get fed up watching?
“Of course, the 4-3 win at Sammy Ofer (over Maccabi Haifa), I have already watched it five times during this period of isolation.”
How are you managing to keep fit?
“I have a lot of sports equipment in my small garden and I’m working according to the plan that the Maccabi fitness coaches have prepared for us.”
What do you most miss about the team?
“Being in the dressing room before the game, when we all sit together and joke and talk.”
Do you mainly cook or wash the dishes?
“Neither.”
Which is your FIFA gaming team?
“PSG or Liverpool.”
Who is the news personality you most enjoy watching on TV?
“Amit Segal.”
Who is the funniest member of the players’ Whatsapp group?
“At the moment it’s Eitan Tibi.”
What’s your best time in the 100m sprint?
“I have no idea, I haven’t run that distance for ages.”
What do you miss more, the anticipation before the game or the joy of winning after the final whistle?
“I prefer the feeling before the game. I like the pressure and the excitement.”
