Although Yorgos Donis was only fired last Wednesday, his fate may have been decided much earlier. Maybe it happened on the day of the appointment, four days after the first official game for 20/21. In recent years, Maccabi Tel Aviv has made it a habit to start preparations for the season lazily, and the fact that this time too it was delayed in appointing the coach was not surprising, but last summer there was something different.
Vladan Ivic was one of the most dominant coaches in the Mitch Goldhaar era. His decision to leave after two years, and even earlier the departures of Jordi Cruyff and Ben Mansford, who were dominant professional figures, left a huge vacuum. The Serb and his team had a high level of control over all the professional decisions, from the lineup to the purchase, and the club needed someone to step into those shoes. Maybe it was out of necessity, maybe from his personal ambition, but Patrick Leven, with the help of Barak Yitzhaki, was the man.
He was with the team throughout the preparation, commanded the camp, the training games and even picked up a title: Champion of Champions. This period earned him quite a few credits with the club heads, and they remembered it when things got complicated about four months later.
Until last summer the Youth Department was Van Leven’s private realm. He ruled there with a high hand, with strict rules and a fixed method, but he had no touch for the graduates. During his time at the Doug Ivitch Club, Madar made the decisions. In the last break, despite Donis’ appointment, it was no longer possible to go backwards. The Dutchman did not voluntarily give up the power he had gained.
If in the Ivica van Leven era he moved away from training, in Donis his face would be visible in Kiryat Shalom. If last year he was not part of the decision-making regarding foreigners, this time he was the one who recommended Alexander Peshic and also made sure to push for the arrival of the Serb and also for the signing of Luis Hernandez. The Van Leven-et-Yitzhaki duo took professional command, Donis was nothing more than the coach.
Usually when the coach fails, some of the blame goes to the professional manager, but that was not the case. The more Donis lost, the higher Van Van Wenn’s fund came before the decision-makers. They saw him as the natural heir of the Greek. Who knows the team better than the one who prepared it for the season and worked with some of the players from the time they played in the youth department. The fortune fell, and as soon as Donis was fired, it was clear that Van Leven would step into his shoes.
Maccabi Tel Aviv did not even start looking for a coach. He will remain in the position, of course as long as the results are good, and he will even have breathing space because the focus after the bad season opener is on the players.
So what is expected of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Van Leven era? First of all, a three-brake order has been eliminated. The long ones will remind players of Ivica’s days. By the way, Maccabi Tel Aviv came to the conclusion that the club needs this rigidity.
The players themselves may not think this is a lift in the field of training, but at least there is an improvement from what has been so far. There are those who will make an order and promote them, especially the young players like Elon Almog, Matan Hozaz, Eden Kartzev and Shachar Phiben, whom Van Leven was so proud of promoting.
“He’s sick of control,” he said of Van Leven Uri Ozen, Who worked with him at Maccabi Tel Aviv and currently coaches the youth of the city rival, “is a very high-level manager and did beautiful things in the youth department of Maccabi Tel Aviv. One of the best managers to land here. He gave up championships in the youth team and promoted players in the second year / age exceptions to Betar Tel Aviv Ramla and saw only their personal development. “
However, Ozen added: “I’m pretty sure he is not a coach. His style is not suitable for seniors, his football is banal and I do not know if he is what Maccabi needs now. His style is outdated in my opinion and it will be interesting to see how he fits into the senior team.”
Tonight (Monday, 20:45) awaits Van Leven a first test in front of the fans. This derby is no longer a game for them. And for another month and a half, another derby awaits him: against Shakhtar Donetsk, where he served as director of the academy from 2006 to 2013. A win in both, and we may see him on the lines at Bloomfield for many more years to come.
Participated in the preparation of the article: Sahar Dayan