After a long convalescence following his serious knee injury, Barak Itzhaki opened up his heart in a special interview: "We're the best team in the league and that has its obligations"

It hasn't been an easy year, to say the least, for Maccabi Tel Aviv's veteran striker Barak Itzhaki. After returning to the squad at the start of the 2013/14 season following a loan spell at Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta, he became one of Maccabi's key players in both the team's domestic and European campaigns, until suffering a cruciate ligament injury in his knee during a warm-up for the team's final round of 32 Europa League tie against Swiss champions FC Basel. It has taken the talented front man almost a year to return to match fitness and now, in a special interview filmed by Adidas Studios, he talks about that painful moment ("I knew it right away, I went straight to the doctor and I said 'Udi, no need to look, I've torn a ligament'), about the tremendous support he's received ("Since that moment the telephone hasn't stopped ringing. I'll show my gratitude to the fans on the pitch") and about realising the dream ("Playing in the Champions League, at least once before I hang up the boots").

Watch the full interview below (in Hebrew):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfvOr6gWOAc