Over the past several weeks Omer Atzili signed a mega contract with Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), ending a wonderful two-and-a-half-year chapter at Maccabi Haifa. During this time he was called the best Israeli player in the league, and he led the 'Greens' to three consecutive championships and an unforgettable campaign in the Champions League.
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After becoming the first Jewish player to sign with the UAE, Atzili gave a special and exclusive interview to Israel Hayom, where he talks like you have never heard him talk before, about his time in the green uniform, the difficulties and struggles he and his family are enduring, the difficult transition to a foreign country, and his relationship with Maccabi Haifa president, Ya'akov Shahar, and his former coach Barak Bakhar. Find yourself some free time, and silence your cell phone because you haven't read an interview like this in a long time.
Q: Omer, what was your reaction when you heard about the offer from the UAE?
"Of course, I updated Maccabi Haifa immediately. From that moment on, I was dealing mainly with my personal affairs, my wife, and family, because, it goes without saying that the most important thing to me in the world is that they are happy. Nothing is worth doing if it is not good for them. I've said before that I won't go anywhere unless it's an offer that I really can't refuse. That's what happened, and I believe it's all for the best."
Q: How were you welcomed by Al Ain? Did you have any concerns about the move?
"Anything new involves concerns. It was natural, but I was welcomed with open arms, and I soon realized that they would take care of everything I needed. The people here are very warm. Obviously, we checked everything and decided to go for it."
Q: Did you get the green light from Maccabi Haifa?
"I wouldn't do anything without getting the green light from Yanke'le Shahar. This is also my chance to thank him and the club for everything they have done for me during my time at Maccabi Haifa. These have been the best two years of my life; like a dream. I am so grateful that I could pay back on the pitch and that we experienced unforgettable moments together."
Q: People say that economic consideration is what makes your final decision.
"I've said in the past that unless there's an extraordinary offer, one that is good for me and my family, I won't leave Maccabi Haifa. I think that I have kept my promise. This move does not contradict in any way the appreciation I have for the club and the crowds, who have given me so much."
Q: Who did you consult with before making your decision?
"First of all with my wife and family. Then, of course, with Ronen Katsav, my agent. And then a bit with my closer friends and family."
Q: The day that changed my life
Even before the championships with Maccabi Haifa, the assists, the unforgettable goals, winning the Player of the Season award, and appearances in the Champions League, the day that changed the career, and probably also the life, of Atzili, is January 13, 2021.
Atzili was going through a difficult period at that time, after the famous "minors' affair," which undermined his life and forced him to "exile" to Cyprus, where he did not find his feet. Then came Maccabi Haifa, or rather, came Ya'akov Shahar. After much consideration by both sides, criticism from all sides, demonstrations, and protests, the contract was finally signed, and as they say – the rest is history. Atzili is now revealing for the first time what exactly happened behind the scenes.
"It is impossible to explain what Maccabi Haifa has given me. It's something you can't buy with money. Maccabi Haifa saved my life," says Atzili. He, too, knows that Ya'akov Shahar and the Green Club took steps that were not obvious; steps that attracted, and still attract, quite a lot of criticism, and for the rest of his life he will remain grateful for this.
"Yanke'le's children always tell me that he consulted with them about whether to bring me to the team," Atzili reveals. "They were sitting around the family table and he said, 'I want to hear what you think, what do you say? And most said 'no, no, no and no'! Then he banged on the table and said, "I have decided to bring him to Maccabi Haifa and he will be a Maccabi Haifa player!" What he did for me is amazing; there are no words."
Q: Did he do a checkup on you at that time?
"He checked on me. He wanted to know what kind of person I was and how I behaved in the changing room with the other players. I think our talks also helped him make the decision that he wanted me."
Q: How is your relationship with him today?
"When we meet we always hug each other immediately. He puts his hand out, and I hug him. I love him and appreciate what he has done for me."
Q: People say that you are the most significant acquisition player in the history of Maccabi Haifa. How does that make you feel?
"It makes me feel very valued and makes me happy with my success at Maccabi Haifa. It's very exciting, certainly in a club like this, that has gone through an endless number of players and stars, to move on like this. I was still in Cyprus a week before the signing, and Erez, you told me, 'It's time to get on board. You won't regret it. Now it's time.' You were absolutely right."
Q: Tell us about the deliberations, about the period when you thought about whether to accept Maccabi Haifa's offer.
"Actually, it was brewing slowly. The relationship started back in the summer, I met Yanke'le at his home. That was after I was released from Maccabi Tel Aviv. I really wanted to come then. I watched Maccabi Haifa the season before, and I believed that it was possible to do something great."
"When I met with Yanke'le, the case was still open. I knew it would be closed, but he couldn't take the risk. He wished me luck. At the end of October or the beginning of November, I texted Gal Alberman (Maccabi Haifa's professional manager). He asked me what was going on and what my feelings were like in Cyprus. I replied, 'Not that much, and that if anything was interesting, I would love to come.' This was already after the case was closed with no conviction."
"It was slowly brewing and brewing, and at the beginning of January, our talks became really serious. Beitar Jerusalem was also part of the discussions. I remember that I was at a very big crossroads here. On the one hand, I was afraid to join Maccabi Haifa."
Q: What were you afraid of?
"I was having a very sensitive time with my family then, and I was looking for my own safe space. I also had a bit of an issue with the Maccabi Haifa crowd (because of my time at Maccabi Tel Aviv) and I didn't know how they would welcome me. I also didn't know what kind of player I would become. And I was afraid of this. So I said to myself: Maybe it's better for me to go somewhere where it's fun and I'm comfortable, and also where I'm loved."
Q: At that time, they said that Maccabi Haifa was like a graveyard and that every player who came there lost out from it. Could it be that you were a little afraid of that too?
"I don't think so. I had my fears because I didn't know any Maccabi Haifa players personally before I got there, not Sun (Menachem) or Dolev (Haziza), or Neta (Lavi). I said to myself, 'At Beitar, I know everyone personally, and everyone loves me and is waiting for me.' It was like I was going to my safe space. But in the end, the decision was mine – and I decided to go to Maccabi Haifa."
Q: All beginnings are difficult
Not everything went smoothly after the signing. The signs of personal crisis and the bad six months in Cyprus were still evident in Atzili, who seemed rusty and unfocused. He did not look like the outstanding player who used to sparkle in Maccabi Tel Aviv.
"I came back after what had happened and after six bad months in Cyprus, and I don't know what kind of player I was," he candidly admits. "Whatever I did didn't help, I wasn't doing well in general, and I didn't know what to do anymore with myself. It got to the point where I said to myself, maybe I'm just not good enough. Outwardly I portrayed a different person, but inside that's what I was going through. I remember saying to myself before a cup match against Hapoel Afula at Sammy Ofer, 'This is my time. Now things must open up for me.' Then I got out there on the grass and lost every ball that came to me. By the 60th minute, I had been replaced."
Q: And when did the change happen? When did you feel that this was it, Omer Atzili was back?
"During the first season, we had a game before the top playoff against Bnei Yehuda in Bloomfield. I didn't score any goals, but in my actions, I felt that I was coming back. I passed assists in that game, and I felt it happen. I slowly gained confidence and showed my abilities."
Q: Do you remember the game against Kiryat Shmona? Victory – and you won the championship after a long time. But at the last minute, they scored.
"We were just as scared as the fans, because we said, 'For ten years there hasn't been a championship here, and we're going to screw it up again.' Then came the game against Hapoel Be'er Sheva. We arrived at the stadium knowing there was no tomorrow. We went onto the pitch a long time before they blew the whistle and the stands were full. It was crazy."
Q: What did Barak Bakhar tell you before the game?
"That it's today or never."
The start at Maccabi Haifa was complicated for Atzili, not only on the pitch but also in the stands. Green fans did not easily accept the player, who was their greatest rival in yellow. They also made sure to remind him of his personal affairs.
Q: When did you feel that the audience was with you until the end?
"After that game against Beersheba, I felt that the crowd was finally with me. When we won the first championship it was like they were saying, 'Here, I'm with you for real. Not some Trojan horse, that came here to mess things up.' I felt that they were 100% in love with me."
"The love I received from the Maccabi Haifa fans was something else. Sometimes I feel like the prime minister. I go with my child to the playground and they are running around me. It's really one crazy madness what Maccabi Haifa has become. Absolutely insane."
Q: You said that you didn't know any of the players. How did you fit in the dressing room with them?
"When I came to Maccabi Haifa Tjaronn Chery and Dolev Haziza, who were very dominant in the front, were there, and I knew Nikita Rukavica from Beitar Jerusalem, who is quieter and more introverted. I didn't know how they would accept me, and I was afraid my presence would be an obstacle. They welcomed me in the most amazing way possible. They kept supporting me and letting me kick penalties, which I really did not take for granted.
"If I had gone to a team where the players had treated me differently, I might not have responded like that. I might not have kicked a penalty that got me into things, or I wouldn't have received a pass, that I should have gotten. Or they would not have said a kind word when I needed it. Things like this are like a snowball, and I've been welcomed in an incredible way."
Q: With which player did you develop the best understanding?
"With Chery. Many times I didn't see where he was, but I passed the ball because I knew he was in the right place. He is a man full of life. You know that you have someone to trust, a leader. Like a big brother, that you say, 'My brother is here, so I'm calm.'"
Q: Who is your best friend on the team?
"Sun Menachem. He's a little maniac. I feel like he reads me. He can look at me and see what I'm feeling. Then he tells me, 'You can't trick me. I know you.' I feel like he's reading me. It's as if he knows how to manage me and reach my most personal points as well. We talk a lot, not just about football."
Q: What do you think about the appointment of Messay Dego as coach?
"I had a feeling they would bring him. I thought that if they brought in an Israeli coach, they might bring him. I don't know him that well, I just know he prefers an attacking style and controlling the ball."
After a great season and a half, Maccabi Haifa and Atzili provided a record season this year. They won a third consecutive championship and became the first team in Israel's history to win the championship in a season, in which they participated in the Champions League.
In fact, with all due respect to winning the championship, qualifying for the Champions League and the impressive games against Paris Saint-Germain of Leo Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappé, and the great Juventus, are the moments that will not be forgotten for many years. It is likely that this performance on the main stage helped Atzili get the huge contract at Al Ain, and Barak Bakhar the the prestigious coaching role at Red Star Belgrade.
Q: Let's go back to the qualifying game in Belgrade vs. Red Star.
"I didn't open that game. Usually, when I don't open up, I'm nervous and irritable, and withdrawn within myself. But this game had a purpose that was way beyond. In such a game, Omer Atzili or any other player are not important, only achieving the goal, and qualifying for the Champions League. I just told myself that I want to go into that game with a result with which I can make an impact. I did not want the game to slip out of my hands."
"I went in at about the 70th minute when the score was 1:1. I felt good on the field, that I was sharp, and that there was a lot of space I could use. I also felt that their players were a bit tired, and then came the free kick that changed it all.
"There are many moments in my life when I feel that Divine Providence sorted things out for me, and that's exactly what happened. I picked up the ball, it touched their striker, and went in. For a moment you don't realize what you have done. Every year we came, danced on the field, filled Sammy Ofer [stadium], and celebrated, but this was something completely different. The Champions League is once in ... a while, and we felt it. It's hard to digest the insanity."
Q: Then came the lottery. You got PSG, Juventus, and Benfica Lisbon.
"We saw it together after practice. There were two houses left to get theirs – Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Inter or PSG, Benfica and Juventus. I was split because Benfica is not a sexy team on paper. Everyone wanted the second house, and I asked myself why. Barcelona no longer has Messi."
"Bayern Munich is 5:0 without touching the ball, and Inter is a team that you won't kick a goal against, no matter what happens. What do we need this for? Maybe it's better to have Paris and Messi driving me mad, an open game, and maybe we'll get points against Benfica. Then they do the lottery and we get Messi. I was dancing around the dressing room."
Q: And now let's talk about your game. The unforgettable duo against the great Juventus. It's something you won't forget for the rest of your life.
"I felt that I shouldn't have started this game. There was a concluding training session after we lost to Beni Reina in the league. We got to the final practice, Barak practiced the Diamond Formation, which meant that there was a good chance I'd be out of the lineup. I remember being irritable when going down, and then Guy Weisinger (one of the assistant coaches) grabbed me by the arm and told me to calm down, everything would be fine. Thoughts were running through my head throughout the night. I didn't know what would happen. I barely slept."
"The day of the game arrived, and I was touchy all afternoon. At the game in Italy, I had three beams. Here I felt we could face them, and I wanted to be part of that. When I walked into the dressing room Guy Sarfati (assistant head coach) blessed me. In our language he told me to calm down, I was opening. I couldn't have dreamed of anything better than this.
"I can't tell you that I didn't dream that I was going to kick a goal and win. But here, reality was better than any kind of imagination. The two goals I put in were personal Divine Providence from above. The first one I put in with my back, their goalkeeper touched the ball, but it went in. For the second one, I wanted to kick into the far corner, but at the last second, I changed the angle of my leg to a closer kick. He didn't stand up well and the ball went in.
"Sammy Ofer is jumping up and down and I'm in a world of my own. I felt drunk. We went down to half-time and everyone was congratulating us. I felt that I couldn't go up for the second half. You suddenly realize the immense power of what you've done."
Q: The second goal is the biggest of your career?
"The game against Juventus is my biggest ever, and the two goals are my greatest achievement."
Last summer, at the start of the season, the Greens' dominance in the league was questioned. Maccabi Tel Aviv brought back esteemed coach Vladimir Ivić, and the highlight, Eran Zahavi, returned home to regain the title. Atzili does not hide his fears about what the Greens felt about these moves but says that they spurred him and his friends on, to show that they are still the best.
"Every year in training camp, the staff would give the players a talk on goals for that season. I remember them coming to me and asking what my goals were. The first goal was, of course, the Champions League, then the championship, and then Eran Zahavi, as well.
"I wanted to prove that I could tackle him and beat him personally. So Danny Inbar (the mental coach) told me, 'It's not between you and him.' I told him, 'Of course, it's not between me and him. But I'm sure that just like Barak wants to take the championship when Ivić returns, I also want to be leading, even after Eran returns to the league. I want to be the top scorer, player of the season, and take a championship.'"
Q: There was a feeling at the beginning of the season that there was going to be a battle, about who was better - Omer Atzili or Eran Zahavi.
"Before the last game, I posted and wrote about the top scorer. I allowed myself to write it because I knew he wouldn't be top of the list. If he had been in the squad, I would never have posted this, because I know that within half an hour he can do a hat trick. I knew he wasn't in the squad, so I was calm and allowed myself to relax."
Q: Did he send you a message at the end of the season?
"We talked a bit at the Player of the Season ceremony."
Q: What did he say?
"He complimented me for the season. He said 'good season' and 'well done'."
Q: What's your relationship like?
"We're not best friends, we met a few times and talked, but I never played with him, so the relationship is different. It's not like with friends."
Q: Ivić and Behar are two very dominant coaches who have influenced your career. How do you compare them?
"They are both crazy and strive to win at all costs, and for things to be perfect. They both have the character of champions. They both believe in different things, a different style of play, and different methods."
Q: For one moment, tell us about one of Bakhar's speeches that you will not forget for a long time.
"I have a strong story. We had me, Dia Saba, Chery, and Haziza in the attack. And usually, only three of the four of us start in the lineup. Before the game against Beitar Jerusalem this season, he brought the four of us to his talk.
"On the way, everyone said to us, 'Update us on who's out.' We went in and he said, "Listen, I know they say you can't play together, what do you say about it? Can you play together?' So we said, 'Yes, sure.' Then he said: So, listen carefully, today the four of you are playing together. All I am asking is that you work well and attack. If you do that, I promise you that in every game, no matter if it's against Maccabi Tel Aviv or Hapoel Beersheba, you will carry on playing together.'"
"I remember that immediately after we left, Raz Meir asked me, 'well, who's out.' I said, 'Listen, today it's either a wedding or a funeral. Either we dance 5-0, or we lose and it's going to be a mess." By the way, the game ended 2-1 to Maccabi Haifa."
In addition to his professional success and the spotlight on the field, Atzili strictly guards his personal life and does all he can to keep his family happy and united after the difficult times they endured.
Q: Tell us what a day in the life of Omer Atzili looks like.
"Nothing special. I get up in the morning, pray, I try to go to morning prayers at the synagogue. Then I go train."
Q: And who takes the children to kindergarten?
"I don't do the morning shift. In the morning my wife is in charge. I take them out sometimes in the afternoons when she has to work. Then I spend the whole time with them. I love it. It's so satisfying, and also brings me back down to ground. Because at home it's not like when I'm walking in the street. At home, I'm 'home Omer.' Truthfully, it's fun."
Q: What kind of father are you?
"I'm a little bit laid back, and I like to tease them ... But in the end, I'm the most nervous father there is. They are my life. My children and my wife are the most important part of my life."
Q: They say your son, Ben, also has the football bug.
"He's also got a pretty good left kick. My wife and I keep saying that we're afraid of the moment he goes up to first grade. With all that has happened, you know what children are like, and it scares us a little. We don't really know how we are going to handle situations if he gets comments.
"A few weeks ago my wife was in the playground with him, and someone shouted something not nice about me. He came to my wife and said to her, 'They just said something bad about Daddy, but I decided to let it go in one ear and out the other, and not pay attention.'" We were very touched by that. He's already five years old, and that's something that scares us a lot. He's very sensitive."
Q: How do the other children in the kindergarten treat him?
"The children are his friends. I go into the nursery school and say, 'I've come to get my star," and he's overjoyed."
Q: Do you get to play together?
"Sure, we play all day. I bought small goals for the house. Once he's Messi, once Ronaldo, sometimes Chery, and sometimes even Josh Cohen."
Q: Who wins?
"We keep on getting to a tiebreaker, and then whoever scores wins. I can't always let him win, so sometimes I beat him. Then he has a tantrum. This child is not prepared to lose. He starts to cry, he scratches and curses. Sometimes I close the door because he's exaggerating. Every time my brothers hear that, they tell me, 'No wonder he's your child.' I was even worse."
Q: Do you want him to be a footballer?
"Tough question. Although I enjoy seeing him play, because it has magic, I'm afraid that he will get hurt because of what I did. So I don't know."
Q: Your wife Or comes with the children to the games. Does she also gives constructive criticism?
"No, no. She just says she loves me and is proud of me."
Q: You knew Or when you played in Rishon LeZion and almost no one had heard of you.
"That's right. I remember when we were in twelfth grade, we spoke seriously about our future, and she asked me what my dreams for the future were. I told her I wanted to be a footballer and she said, 'Okay, a footballer, of course. But what do you want to do to make money?' so I said to her, 'What do you mean? A footballer,' and she said, okay, but what are the chances? There are so many ...' and she started lecturing me.
"I'm thinking, what's her problem? Today we laugh a lot about that. If you had told me at age 18-19 that I would be where I am today, I would have told you that you are crazy. When I was 18 my biggest goal was to be a National League player in Rishon LeZion and have a card to the Supergoal. You understand? And then all of a sudden, at 20, I'm already the captain of Beitar."
Q: So how did you really get to Beitar?
"Eli Tabib. We played a game against Beitar. I went in at halftime and then kicked a penalty into the beam. Once we talked about this penalty and he said to me, 'I didn't even look at the penalty, the twice you touched the ball were enough for me.' After the game against Beitar, he came to see us at some game. He was there for ten minutes and left. I didn't know if that was good or bad. I thought, 'he must have been upset. Who comes for ten minutes and leaves?' But Eli decided he wanted me, and that's how I signed with Beitar."
The space that has not yet closed
This weekend the Israeli national team will play Belarus and Andorra in the European Championship qualifiers. Atzili won't be there, even though he's one of the best Israeli players today.
The protests of women's organizations and the pressure exerted on him and on the Football Association, which wanted him to attend public hearings on his case, led him to announce his temporary retirement (we will soon find out if there is a chance for a change) from the national uniform. National team coach Alon Hazan has already made it clear that professionally, he would love to welcome the star player to the squad.
Q: Can you imagine going back to the national team in the future?
"I also think about it. I didn't close the door, of course, but I didn't accept what they asked me to do. So, at the moment I have decided not to be on the national team. I'd love to come back if they want me."
Q: What happened when you spoke with Alon Hazan and professional director Yossi Benayoun?
"I talked to Alon. He wants me in the national team, but it's above them. They said that if I didn't come to the meeting, I wouldn't be able to be on the national team. It's like they have to train me, so I can wear the national team shirt. The affair was closed with no conviction and it's been a long time, so I'm not going to get into it again, and definitely not involve my family, my wife, and my parents in it again. That's why I decided that right now I was giving up."
Q: You won't forget the shouts against you at the national team match against Albania in Bloomfield.
"It's not pleasant as a national team player to come and hear these degrading calls. It was a very important game for us, and I was very upset to hear them shouting."
Q: You were never a real part of the team.
"For me, I don't feel that I missed out by not being on the national team because I never felt that I was a significant player there and I never got a chance to be a leading player. I never played even once in the national team squad. So I don't think that I missed out. Of course, I want to be a part and feel more like I belong. I think I deserve some credit."
Q: So will it happen one day?
"Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen. I hope so. I really want to be on the national team."
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Q: Finally, next month you will be 30 years old. Are there any post-retirement plans yet?
"I have something I've been running in my head lately, which is opening a football school for kids with disabilities, or something along those lines. I did a lot of things with Maccabi Haifa, but most times I told them I didn't want them to take photographs, so they wouldn't say, 'He's leaving because of what happened with him.' I'm doing it for myself and for my heart."
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