Maccabi Haifa in the Europa League: "We don't just play for the fans, we play for the country"

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Maccabi Haifa's players warm up ahead of Champions League qualifier against Maltese club Hamrun Spartans

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Domenic Aquilina / NurPhoto / Getty Images

While national football in Israel is on hiatus, European competition continues. Maccabi Haifa plays in Cyprus against Villarreal FC in the Europa League (18:45 CEST), Maccabi Tel Aviv, who play in the Europa Conference League, have an away game at Sorya Luhansk (21:7). It is the first match for the two Israeli clubs since the attack on the country on October <> by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas.

"It's very difficult to talk about football," Haifa coach Messay Dego said on Wednesday evening at the AEK Arena of Cypriot club AEK Larnaca, where Haifa play their home game. At the end of October, Uefa had decided that no international matches of the European Football Union would be kicked off in Israel for the time being due to the tense security situation.

"Normally you think about the game, about the tactics," defender Sean Goldberg is quoted as saying in the British Guardian, "but the mind is not here." Players and teammates speak of family members or acquaintances who are now fighting in the army, perished when hostages were taken.

"On the one hand, we don't want to play"

The Israeli champions don't expect much from the game against Villarreal. The team has hardly trained and the game is taking place behind closed doors. With one point from two games, Haifa are bottom of Group F behind opponents Villarreal (three points). For the club, however, there is more at stake, as the players make clear in the Guardian.

"On the one hand, we don't want to play," defender Sean Goldberg said, but if they can make the Isrealis a little bit proud, that's good. "We don't just play for the fans of Maccabi Haifa. We're playing for the country."

The club is considered a symbol of diversity and tolerance, different religions play together there. But the impact of the recent attacks on Israel does not stop at Maccabi Haifa.

Dia Saba, one of the club's best players, came under criticism when his wife took to Instagram to express concern about the civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, as reported by the Washington Post. There are also children in Gaza," his wife had written. According to the Washington Post, Dia Saba was criticized by fans and commentators for not publicly criticizing Hamas. Dia Saba apologized via Instagram. The Israel international, who comes from a Muslim family, will not play in Cyprus.

NGO