One of the greatest connections in the history of the Israeli national team, Idan Tal, was interviewed yesterday (Thursday) on Everton’s official website and talked about his time overseas in general, and in England in particular. Tal went through many stations in his career, including Maccabi Petah Tikva, Hapoel Tel Aviv, the Spanish Merida, Everton, Rayo Vallecano, Maccabi Haifa, Bolton, Betar and Hapoel Jerusalem, and also made 69 appearances for the Israeli national team, in which he scored five goals.
The contact talked about why he had to achieve more with Everton, how his lifestyle after retiring from active play changed completely from what he was during his career as a footballer, the comparison of Israeli football to European and his short period as Hapoel Jerusalem coach.
“I wanted to be the best player on the team and in practical matters I did a little better than everyone else. That’s why I came to another level, “he said Idan Tel About his time at Everton, in the media he recorded 33 appearances, adding: “I finished the first season very well and was told to prepare myself for a bigger step, but it did not happen and the second season was difficult. You have to fight harder. “
The connection told about the differences in level between the Israeli league and the second Spanish league: “Even the level in the second division in Spain (to which he moved from Everton to the media of Merida) is better, more aggressive, more tactical, there is a big difference in mentality, attitude, everything.”
The period in the Israeli national team uniform and the big disappointment: “If there is one thing that bothers me about my career, it is that we did not qualify for a big tournament. We missed the 2006 World Cup even though we did not lose a single game in the qualifiers, but it is impossible to achieve everything. Leo Messi did not win the World Cup either, for example.”
Idan took up the position of coach at Hapoel Jerusalem, where he grew up in June 2013, but left about six months later. “I wanted to take them to a higher level, step by step. To bring all the things I grew up with. I want to be professional and semi-professional.”
Tal, who has four sons, 19-year-old Miron, 18-year-old Amit Yosef, 12-year-old Yinon and 6-year-old Hillel, deliberately withdrew from anything related to professional football. He teaches sports at a middle school and high school and works 75 percent of the week because “I don’t want to work very hard, I want to do different things. I changed my life. I became stronger in religion compared to what I was during my years as an actor. I pray three times a day in synagogue and Shabbat “.