Maccabi achieved a historic landmark on Thursday by beating KAA Gent 3-1 to reach tbe Conference League Round of 16. Eran Zahavi didn’t settle by reaching the 400 career goal mark, but added a brace and summed up the performance of the team at the end of the match in Serbia.
“We played an excellent game, were compact, moved the ball with confidence and pressed really well. I am really proud of our team today” Zahavi said. “We made history today, this is the first time Maccabi finishes top of a group stage as all the guys deserve credit from the coaching staf to the kitmen and the last club employee. We dedicate this victory to the entire Israeli nation as well as the IDF soldiers fighting for us in Gaza right now. I just hope that all the hostages return and we would like to strengthen them from here.”
On playing during wartime, Zahavi added: “The situation back home is obviously complex, we are playing far from home but know that it could give some joy to people back home. I think this is a moment of pride for the entire Israeli nation as we represent the people of Israel and feel proud to do so. To put things aside is not easy, but at the same time extremely important.”
When asked about the difficulty of playing without fans, Zahavi added: “We were dragged into this situation but who are we to complain. We are doing what we love most which is playing football and giving some pride and peace of mind to our country. Obviously we would have preferred to play at Bloomfield infront of our fans but it is not possible right now. We must do the best we can and I think we have a team with a strong healthy and positive backbone. We know how to deal with challenges like that and will try and continue this way.”
