It’s almost hard to believe, but two years have passed: Manor Solomon has long stuck a stake in Shakhtar Donetsk, and by the end of the season he already has 12 goals and six assists in 65 appearances in the uniform of the Ukrainian Empire. Now that the local league (and also the European one) is on holiday, he took the time to speak – in a special interview with “Sports News”: about Maccabi Petah Tikva, the adaptation in Donetsk, the relationship with Eran Zehavi on the team – and his advice to young footballers. Watch the article from “Sports News”
Arsenal, Roma and Atalanta are interested, in the relationship and he in turn maintains modesty: “There is a lot of talk about teams, a lot of teams are interested. Big teams I hear their names, it’s exciting.” By the way, Solomon’s agents, Shlomi Ben Ezra and Gilad Katsav, recently joined All Agent, Pini Zehavi, in order to place him in a senior group in Europe.
“Maccabi Petah Tikva brought me at the age of 9-10, they really gambled on me and brought me taxis from home in Kfar Saba to Petah Tikva. It’s not something every club would do, “Solomon said, admitting:” Obviously Avi Luzon’s goal was to sell me to Europe. Many times he exaggerated the price, I also say he exaggerated. Obviously then I was not worth even six million euros, the amount he sold me. I had a hard time knocking on his door and telling him: What you want about me is excessive … You will not sell me for six or eight (a million). Lower the price. Today I would come, knock on his door and tell him. “
“Anyone who watched last year’s games in the Ukrainian league saw what great progress I made, even if I do not score or cook, then I play well. This year I got more on stage and there is a generational change in Shakhtar, now promising youngsters take the place of the older ones,” : “I improved a lot my understanding of the game, the actions in depth, the creation of situations, getting to situations, the consummation. When to do the dribble and when not to do the dribble.”
“In Europe you can develop more. Here when you get to a big team, it’s very difficult to get out,” Solomon insisted on the difference. “If you are a significant player, the big teams demand a lot of money from you, money that in Europe will not always pay for an Israeli player. I’m glad I was able to leave at an early age, that’s also what I wanted, I did not want to move to a big team in the country. “Go out when you can, even at a young age.”
One of the great moments in Solomon’s career so far, is of course the first goal against Real Madrid. “I passed the first player, I saw a clear path in the middle you do not see if it is Rodrigo in front of you, Casmiro or a player from the league. I made my move, I gave a sweet potato ball that made a big move. To her, it’s as simple as it sounds, “he repeated, noting that the game took place at Real Madrid’s training ground and not at the Santiago Bernabeu full of 80,000 fans. He replied:” Maybe Tata would not hear, so maybe there is something good in Corona. “
Who is the role model? “I always supported Yossi Benyon and I always wanted to go his way,” Solomon said. “When I’ve been playing with him, it’s been amazing for me. We’re friends, he’s a really amazing person. If I’m doing a good game or scoring, he’s always cheering or sending me a message. It doesn ‘t matter what goal I scored. It does not feel realistic to me. “
On the feeling of playing alongside Eran Zehavi on the team: “He is a huge player, who makes an amazing career when you play with him so obviously he takes a lot of kicks, if he had not kicked the number of kicks he would have kicked today, then he would not have scored so much. I am happy “We have a few more years to play together. I will help him as much as I can.”
By the way, his partner, Dana Washina, will now be connected to Solomon, who will arrive in Kiev after being discharged from the army. They have been together since he played for Maccabi Petah Tikva and the two have not met for half a year because of the Corona.
And what is the ambition? “To play in the biggest leagues, in the biggest teams,” Solomon said. “I know it’s a very difficult thing, but it’s something I dream about. I know where I want to go and I believe that one day I will get there.”
