Sharon is innocent, CEO of Maccabi Tel Aviv, spoke yesterday (Monday) about ONE’s new interview program and addressed a variety of issues related to what is happening in the ranks of the champion and the leader of the table – the amount of spectators in the derby, fair play, the dismissal of Adv. Moran Meiri from the Football Association. ONE, the future of Dor Peretz and Patrick Van Leven and the club’s youth department.
Are you optimistic about increasing the number of spectators in the derby on Saturday?
“Hopefully the principal’s outline will be accepted and it will be a third of the stadium, but we are waiting and understand that the principal has asked for answers and we are waiting for that. Hopefully in a big stadium like Bloomfield we can put in more fans. I know there is a lot of work behind the scenes to change the outline. We see the numbers going up and down, this outline in the first place doubtless made sense. It is a green sign, open air and a large stadium, so there is no reason why it should not happen and I know that pressure is applied where it should be and I hope it will change. “
How can Maccabi Tel Aviv leave the fair play arrangement at the end of the season and reach the next season when it is completely clean?
“The outline we were on should have been completed, but continued and now we need to be informed of how it ends even though we have not yet received an official update. Hopefully it will end, it should be understood that we have entered into an outline with UEFA because of the fair play rules that will always be here. Maccabi had to reach the outline due to a mismatch, so that means it spent more money than it could have spent. The fact that we end the agreement, here or there, does not mean anything because the fair play rules are always here and will remain. The desire to achieve a balanced budget is not ours at the moment.
We spent more money than we put in, which will not happen again. Need to know how to operate within these laws, the ambition is to go for a balanced budget, after 10 years of ownership need to discover the understanding of the business, both understanding the needs of the owner and upon returning to Bloomfield. We are supposed to bring more revenue to the club. Of course the Corona ruined our plans, we were on the right track before this story and I hope next season things will be different. There are two missing – it depends on whether there will be an audience and what European competition we will have next season. According to the number of scenarios, the owner will decide what the group’s budget will be. “
How do Mitch Goldhaar or Maccabi as a club feel about the issue that there is a second attempt to remove Moran Meiri from the association’s management?
I think that first of all Maccabi Tel Aviv supports one hundred percent Moran Meiri, who is our representative in the association. There is no one in the association who has proven time and time again his loyalty to Israeli football, his transparency and his future, more than Meiri. He does not only look at Maccabi Tel Aviv but at football as a whole. There is no doubt that we are very disappointed with these attempts and the conduct of the association, we expect and think that there should be recognition of what he is doing. There are still forces that want to leave the management of football as it was in the past – less professional and matter-of-fact. It is certainly a process of change and one habit or another, it is not an easy or smooth process, especially in organizations that are political. This is a job that takes time and requires composure, it is difficult to manage for a long time with a lot of objections. “
How do you see the refereeing claims against Maccabi Tel Aviv, it is not disrespectful to Patrick Van Leven as coach?
“This issue has become excessive. Van Leven’s results are outstanding and it should be remembered that the season is not over yet. Can say it is because of the judges but we are looking at the result. The team plays great and proves it. All the talk about the judges, there is no doubt that this matter can affect one group once and another time but in the end it balances. The report they show on the judgment is only referring to what the VAR reported. For example – the own goal that was against Maccabi Haifa, Paul was clear about Schechter but the VAR did not intervene so it did not move to the report. In the end it balances, what we look at is the table, the hard work shows the results. “
When will you announce Van Leven’s contract extension?
“Things are being managed inside the house and if there is anything we will officially announce.”
What led to Dor Peretz being able to sign wherever he wanted at the end of the season? What happened in a way that he is not signed for another season?
“A lot of things have happened, this is the situation and we need to look ahead. I would have been happy if he had signed a long-term contract but that is the current situation and we are dealing with it. What I can say is that I am pleased that home players who grew up in the club have become prominent, and Dor is one of them, so it’s gratifying. We manage these things at the club, what will be decided and agreed upon is what will happen. “
The youth department returned to work over the weekend. What does Maccabi Tel Aviv intend to do in this sector due to the fact that Van Leven is invested in graduates?
“There was a difficult season for the youth department, a challenging season and unfortunately not enough was done to get the departments back to activity faster and so there was a limited season. It is no secret that the youth department is important to Maccabi Tel Aviv, we want to continue to develop it, we want to continue to run as before. “Patrick is less in the department but still very involved. We will make decisions later on the youth department as well.”