The life of Rafi Dahan They changed from end to end on March 9, 2014. The Bnei Yehuda midfielder was seriously injured that shook the Israeli football world, after which he was forced to retire from football. At the age of 24, trying to recover physically after such a serious injury is not easy, but even more difficult was the mental struggle – of looking for a new profession. After a long period of not speaking and the court ruling that he will be compensated with NIS 4.2 million, Dahan broke his silence in an exclusive interview with “Five in the Air” in which he told what he went through in recent years, commented on Maccabi Haifa’s conduct in the affair. Painful interview.
“People stop him on the street and say ‘you have become a millionaire’, but some of the money goes to the lawyer and insurance and I have not much left. What is left, I have to say thank you to the Creator of the world,” Dahan began, “I received 4.2 million NIS, but 800,000 NIS.
“At the moment of the injury there was a very big noise, but after that I got to a point where I wanted to run away from everything. For six years I did not talk to anyone,” Dahan explained, “I wanted to end it all. I was confused and bitter after the injury, if not my wife who is the center of the house It was not easy. People saw my wife shopping and shamelessly told her ‘your crying husband’, but she was the one who kept me alive. In the first year I would defecate in a bucket, there were very difficult physiotherapies. Thanks to Dr. Guy Morag, I do Today is a bit of a sport, but I went through not easy days. I did not return to play football, but it is not the end of life and there is life after me. “
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“I was used to salaries. I played for Maccabi Tel Aviv and suddenly I got used to a better salary of 50,000 NIS and suddenly I have no money. I lived on loans for a year, it was not easy,” Dahan continued, “During these six years I became very strong and approached religion. “It had a huge impact on my life so going back to football as an artist or something, life was not on my mind.”
What was the most difficult moment?
“The first year was very difficult for me. Today I see Ruben Raios and Yaakov Shachar and I will hug them. They said that Yankele did not call me and that is not true, he did call and took care of my health. I would take very hard pills and it was not easy for me. Thank God Creator of the world with me and support me. “
what are you doing today?
“Today I will bless in the kollel, I became stronger in religion. At the same time, I am also a scribe. The Creator of the world has blessed me. “
They say you imposed a curse on Maccabi Haifa?
“I removed the curse from Maccabi Haifa. There is a wheel that drives the world. There is a law and there is a law with the name that Haifa will take a championship. It happens that bad things happen, there is a law and there is a law, I do not hate Maccabi Haifa at all.
Watch Rafi Dahan in the hospital moments after the injury
Are you interested in football?
“I have not seen football for two years. There was the appeal recently and my wife asked me about it and I did not even remember there was an appeal. My mind is rested from the worries already, I do not think about it. It does not excite me to watch football in Israel. People think I am nervous today, but it is not That’s right. Raios is the messenger of God, Raios brought me to be born from now on at the age of 31. “
Today you will see Raius, how will you react?
“Six years ago, it was a spit on him, today it will end in a hug. Only Reus and I know what it was was on purpose because we confronted the whole game and there were curses. He hit me on purpose, but it’s clear to me he did not mean it was the damage done to me.”
How did you feel at the moment of the injury?
“I realized in real time that I was finishing my career. I knew I would not have a chance to come back.”
Do Maccabi Haifa fans still tease you?
“I used to have networks with Instagram and Facebook, today, thank God, I don’t even have WhatsApp, so I’m disconnected and don’t know what they say about me. In general, they always talk to me about the subject.”
During this time you missed football?
“At first when I was injured it was very difficult for me, but today it is not at all. No offer will bring me back to football, even if I could. Even if I had 2 million NIS, I would not sign in Barcelona and Real Madrid, today I am so happy. People think I’m a sad and grumpy person, but that’s not true. I wanted to talk all the time, but I couldn’t because of the trial. “
What is the function of your leg today?
“The first year I would get up in the middle of the night with nightmares. In the mornings I go jogging, my leg swells often so I might have another surgery because I get edema. There is no sense of missing out on a career, I feel like God has credited me.”
Last message to finish?
“May everyone have free love and good energies. Concentrate only on the good.”