Dor Peretz returned to Israel and rejoined Maccabi Tel Aviv earlier this month after one season at Italian club Venezia. At the end of Maccabi’s league match against Hapoel Hadera in Netanya, where Peretz scored a 90th minute goal to seal an emphatic 6-0 victory he said: “There are several personas who arrived here with loads of experience. Nir (Bitton), and Eran (Zahavi) who returned, a coach with an extra ordinary personality. Many good players in Parfait Guiagon and Oscar Gloukh who are very talented, but all in all we have a very hungry squad. Experience and talent don’t reflect on some sort of hunger, we saw this in the first matches which is something that makes me happier than anything else because a hungry team will lead us to achievements. Talent and experience is not enough but only hunger will take us as far as possible”.
A product of Maccabi’s Youth Academy, Peretz, who besides a short loan spell at Hapoel Haifa spent all his playing career at the club, spoke of his decision to return to Maccabi: “At the end of the day, I left a home and knew that one day I will return, but never knew at what stage. It happened earlier than I expected but I arrived at a home and the place I feel most complete and happy to be at. I took me a while to reach this decision because I wanted to continue my dream and keep playing in Europe. On the other hand Maccabi Tel Aviv is a European club which is something I took into account when considering all the other offers”.
When asked about Maccabi’s young starlet, Oscar Gloukh, Peretz added with a smile: “I am knew here, knew to this phenomenon which is called Oscar Gloukh – certainly something irregular to the Israeli scene. We are fortunate enough that he plays at our club and we keep nurturing him and help him develop. We are giving him all the tools to keep his feet on the ground, but on the other hand allow him show his ability big time. I just wish he continues to do it and reach as far as he can”.