Maccabi Tel Aviv ‘Schahar’ begin their journey in the UEFA Youth League with a second round first leg match away to Swiss side FC Zurich.
Idan Trau, the captain of Israel’s U19 Champions and runaway league leaders, spoke ahead of Wednesday’s match in Zurich.
How excited are you about the match and the occasion?
“Of course there is excitement. I believe it will disappear as soon as we step onto the pitch. We worked very hard last season to reach this stage.”
What will you need to do to compete as well as you have in the league?
“If we play together, I believe we can go a very long way.”
What do you know about your opponents? Are you preparing differently for this match?
“The coaching staff will prepare us in the best possible way, just as they do for every other opponent in the league.”
Do you think your league form can carry over and be enough to compete in Europe as well?
“We play our own football against every opponent. We are a very talented team that works extremely well together. Add to that the international experience that most of the players in the squad have, and with hard work, we will get through this round. I believe we can go far.”
