Bitton, who returned to Israel after nine successful years with Celtic where he played Rangers at the world famous Old Firm derby, is looking forward to play in Israel’s biggest derby. The 30-year old central defender who sat out the defeat away to Haifa said: “I am feeling good as I wasn’t actually injured just suffering from some back pain which kept me out of a training for a week. Now I am a 100% fit and at the team’s disposal”.
Ahead of his first Tel Aviv derby, Bitton, who only played in Israe for Ashdod SC, reflected on his time in Scotland: “I was fortunate enough to play in a few bid derbies in my career. I heard a lot about the Tel Aviv derby as I know there is a lot at stake as this is a game which is more than football. It is important for the fans and the club with plenty of local pride at stake. As far as the players are concerned, it is an important game and we need to take the three points in order to build a positive momentum and continue our league run”
