Maccabi Tel Aviv travel to Turner stadium on Monday for the second time this season ahead of the WINNER League MD3 match against Hapoel Be’ersheva. After beating Be’ersheva 3-1 at their home back in July to win the Super Cup, and having recorded a 2-1 State Cup victory on the final day of last season, the two sides will meet in the league for the first time. Gabi Kanichowsky, returned to Maccabi last week after a season with Ferencváros where he won the Hungarian Cup, could find himself in the squad for the clash he is more than familiar with.
During his previous 4-year-spell at Maccabi, Kanichowsky won 5 trophies and could be making his 195th appearance for the club on his return. “I really missed it,” Kanichowsky said. “Being involved in something meaningful, giving back to the country and our fans, and helping people. In that respect, I’m very happy to be back, especially with the holidays coming up. I really missed this atmosphere and the natural feeling of being here, so yes – it’s always a great feeling to give back.”
Kanichowsky also shared details about the rapid negotiations that led to his return: “Only two days before I signed, I knew it was going to happen. There was a lot of talk and plenty of rumors, but it was only two days before I signed that things were concretely finalized with the club. I’m very happy. They say it’s nice to leave home, but it’s even nicer to come back home, to a place where you feel most comfortable, in this incredible atmosphere and with the love I received from the very first moment. This isn’t the first time I’ve returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv, so for me it’s a really good and especially enjoyable full-circle moment.”
Kanichowsky also reflected on his time in Hungary and the reasons behind his quick comeback: “Everyone knew that my ambition was to go abroad. I managed to do that last year, and personally it was certainly not a disappointing year for me. Everything went as I had planned, but things simply didn’t work out financially at the club I was at. There were a lot of problems there and they wanted to move on from several players in order to raise money. The moment Maccabi approached me and showed me their project – that they want to move forward and achieve even more than they have in recent years – it was very difficult for me to say no, and I’m very happy about this opportunity.”
Kanichowsky received a hero’s welcome on Friday as he walked in, fresh after training to the ‘Lago’ events hall in Rishon Lezion and began helping the fans pack food parcels ahead of Rosh Hashana.
On Monday, Kanichowsky is set to meet them once again at Turner, as he didn’t hide his excitement: “It’s only been a year, but it felt like an eternity. I’m very excited to see the people who embraced me so much, supported me and gave me so much, even during the challenging moments I’ve gone through in recent years. I’m just waiting to repay them on the pitch. The game isn’t at home, but every game in Israel with our away support feels completely like a home game.”
Looking ahead to the coming season and the task of winning the championship, Kanichowsky reflected on the departures of two fellow teammates in Roy Revivo and Saied Abu Farchi: “I wish them all the very best. They made some good moves and they deserve it.”
A product of Maccabi’s Youth Academy, Kanichowsky is aware of what it takes to put on the Yellow-and-Blue shirt: “At the same time, at Maccabi, it doesn’t matter which players are on the pitch, the DNA has to be there. The mentality and desire to win every game are the foundation. We need to bring back the club’s DNA and restore the strong mentality that we have shown here in recent years.”
Kanichowsky will renew his partnership with fellow midfielder Dor Peretz who began the season where he left off last season, scoring 5 goals in the opening two matches: “Dor is Dor, there really isn’t anything more to add about the guy. What he has done in recent years is above and beyond what anyone could expect. It’s a great privilege to play alongside him when he is the captain of Maccabi Tel Aviv. He is leading this club to a very good and healthy place, and beyond the goals he scores, everything else he contributes makes him a role model.”
On the possibility of playing already on Monday, Kanichowsky concluded: “I learned a lot about myself from my experience abroad. Even though it was only one year, when you’re there on your own, you experience things, deal with things and realize that they approach certain things a little differently. Here in Israel, football is very much a pressure cooker, which on the one hand is a great thing, but on the other, people need to remember that at the end of the day, it’s football. I feel that my mentality has changed somewhat, and I hope to bring that onto the pitch, but I know I need to prove myself here all over again. As for Monday’s game, I feel completely fit and I’m training fully, but ultimately those are the coach’s decisions and he will decide what he believes is right for the game and the squad.”
