The 3-1 defeat to Beitar Jerusalem at Teddy stadium on Monday was Maccabi’s first defeat in the league which kept them top of the table with 19 points from 8 matches.
What began as a convincing first half Maccabi display at Teddy which saw Zarko Lazetic’s side take a goal lead at halftime. But a dismal second half Maccabi display resulted with Beitar who were reduced to 10 men pull a three-goal comeback on the way to a 3-1 victory.
Three days after the defeat at Teddy, Dor Peretz, who captained Maccabi on the night struggled to explain what happened as he spoke at a Press Conference ahead of Kiryat Shmona: “It was one of the most bizarre things I experienced but everything has a reason. We will have to sober up, do our homework and learn from that to ensure we don’t encounter situations like that in the future. We have the privilege of learning from everything we experience.”
Peretz credited Beitar for their performance on the night as he added: “To their credit the managed to win the match against all the odds, maybe ii resulted from the knowledge that we walked off the pitch at halftime knowing they had a numerical disadvantage while we played one of our best halves. I am not capable of pointing out the exact reason it happened, but we just can’t afford as players and a team to allow that to happen”.
On the title race which currently has Maccabi with 19 points, Maccabi Haifa 16 points, Beitar Jerusalem 16 points with a game in hand and Hapoel Beersheva 15 after a deduction of one point, Peretz said: “The league table speaks for itself, and I am not here to declare who is challenging for the title and who isn’t. Every team which is in the top half of the table can compete in the race for the championship.”
Peretz, who made his 19th appearance for Maccabi in all competitions this season not including national team matches, dismissed claims that the overload and fatigue are claiming their toll: “there is an overload, but this is no excuse. As a player your dream is to play twice a week, to train as less as possible and show up for as many matches as you can. Once we have that privilege of playing as much as we can, in Europe or crucial matches, so I don’t think that this overload should be an excuse or a reason for something. One must adapt to everything, and I am not talking about matches as we are born to be in such moments. The flights, the trips back, the situation in Israel, national team duty, there are plenty of adaptations one needs to do and there are things one must do. It is a privilege to be in this position we are at.”
On the position he is playing this season which is further on the pitch he was used to, Peretz said: “I make my adaptations based on the instructions I receive from the coaching staff. I adapt myself to this coach and his predecessors. I am committed to this coach, and this is what I bring with me onto the pitch.”
On the fact Maccabi will not host the match at Bloomfield, Peretz concluded: “It is frustrating, but on the other hand considering the current situation the country is in – this is all decimated in comparison to other things. With all due respect to our frustration of not hosting at Bloomfield, we will put ourselves to the side for the moment.”
