Asi Maman 12/02/2021 19:00
Nico Olsk with the ball (Hagai Michaeli)
The novel resumes. After leaving Israel for half a season in Walbeck, the Netherlands, Nico Olsk returns to Israel to collaborate with his two favorite coaches, Slobodan Drapic and Shai Barda, and midfielder Ali Muhammad, who have had great success together at Maccabi Netanya. On paper, with this acquisition Betar Jerusalem should be a more balanced and stronger team.
The 29-year-old Olsk, who holds Israeli citizenship, has returned to Israel to rescue Betar from the strange situation it found itself in. The Jerusalem team, in which a lot of money has been invested, is at the bottom of the Premier League and is trying to recover. Corona in the locker room, and before her a series of games that she had to complete at a high pace, so she had to strengthen and deepen the staff – and when the pair of coaches received the message that Olsk wanted to return to Israel, they did not hesitate for a moment.
Love at first sight
Drapich and Barda identified Olsk in a training match of Betar Tel Aviv / Ramla with Maccabi Jaffa, and marked him from the first moment. Over time, Barda also went to watch him in the match against Hapoel Kiryat Ono, but the coaches knew he would not be relevant to Betar Jerusalem , The team they hired as an artist in the summer of 2015, so he joined Hapoel Ramat Hasharon.
A year later, the two coaches signed with Maccabi Netanya, which was relegated to the national league and opened the season with minus 9 points, and to that they decided to add Olsk. It was love at first sight. In the season he spent in Netanya, Olsk became one of the best ball savers in the national league and impressed on the grass. At the same time, Barda and Drapich also transferred Ali Muhammad from Betar Tel Aviv / Ramla to Netanya, thus building the back link of the formidable team that overcame the National League, qualified for the Premier League and became a hit. Together, they finished twice in the top playoffs in the Baal League The country.
Meanwhile, Maccabi Haifa tried to get their hands on Olsk and even submitted an official offer to Maccabi Netanya, but this was politely rejected. In those days, the contact was asked about it and clarified: “It’s nice that Maccabi Haifa or any other team wants me, but only Maccabi Netanya interests me and that’s it.”
Ali’s smile
These were beautiful days in Netanya. The team played great football, with Ali Muhammad and Nico Olsk standing out in the middle, ties that complemented each other on the pitch in a fantastic way. “The chemistry between them was amazing and the cooperation was perfect even off the field,” said a source who worked with the two in Netanya.
Betar Jerusalem also testified that “in recent days, Ali Muhammad has made it clear at every opportunity that he very much wants to cooperate with Nico and pressured him to sign. From the moment he realized that Nico was on the way, Ali walked around with a smile like that of a groom who is going to meet the bride before the canopy. “This week Ali Muhammad was even interviewed ahead of his arrival and noted that he is indeed waiting for Olsk:” Most good things happen in a click and we have it. I know how he plays and it doesn’t take a lot of work for him to fit in. “
Maccabi Netanya played happy football with them, using the special diamond method that worked well in the diamond team. Now, they are meeting again in Betar Jerusalem with the same coaches, who tried the same method on Teddy, but did not find the balance from the opening of their current term in the capital. The Diamond lineup did not provide results in their new team, so Betar Jerusalem eventually moved to play In a 4-3-3 formation that is expected to remain as it is.
Purchase that will fit into the lineup
The Corona virus that hit the team, the many games that await it, the release of Dan Eibinder and the lack of depth in the squad that prevents a good rotation in the central link trio in a situation of three games a week, all made the club want to strengthen another midfielder. Of the main link players, those left on the roster are only Ali Muhammad, Ofir Krief, Tamir Adi and Aviel Zargari, so the signing of Olsk was definitely necessary.
“Only through the middle can we win games and control the ball, and because of the great game load that awaits us, this signing is required. It is impossible to stay with just four players on three positions in the center. “Nico will provide more power in the middle because he can play as a back and central midfielder, he knows how to extract balls quietly and efficiently, move them forward, he will help the attacking players in the front trio to be calm when performing the offensive actions, and he will also help the team be stronger and fresher.” This is what Betar officials said.
Olsk arrives for free after being released from Walwick at the end of a half-season of failure in the Netherlands. He did not fit in there, did not get along with the quiet of the city compared to his previous life in Tel Aviv and Miami, did not find his place in the team and did not get many opportunities to play, he appeared in only 8 league games out of 21 and only in one of them finished 90 subtlety. In contrast, for Slobodan Drapic and Shay Barda, Olsk was the first option to strengthen his position and the club worked under time pressure to get him the appropriate permits to land in the country before the transfer window closes.
His abilities are known and recognized, but the only thing in question is his current fitness. Even before the trip to the Netherlands, where he mainly sat on the bench, Olsk did not play continuously in his last season at Maccabi Netanya. As you may recall, he started last season on the bench and did not get many minutes because he wanted to leave the team at MLS so he could renew his green card in his last year, but in the end no relevant offer came from the United States – while Drapich and Barda had already brought in Coral Cohen to play on his slot, so he was pushed aside.
Now, the midfielder is returning to Israel to complete the missing piece in the Betar Jerusalem puzzle. With this signing, the fingerprints of the team’s coaches can finally be seen. Drapich and Barda want to revive their team, with Nico Olsk coming to revive his career re.
