January 2013. Maccabi Tel Aviv under the direction of Head Coach Oscar Garcia were atop the Israel Premier League table. We were in the midst of the transfer window and the hottest name in all of Israeli football was Eran Zahavi. The former Hapoel Tel Aviv player was seeing very few minutes with Palermo and rumors of his transfer were abound.

Meanwhile in Israel the team built by sports director Jordi Cruyff was on the way to their 20th championship, but Cruyff wanted to strengthen the squad looking at the years ahead.

And then on January 21st it occurred. Zahavi passed his medical examinations and entered the Kiryat Shalom locker room for the first time. “I always like to start off on the right foot,” Zahavi said in his first interview to the Official Website right after his contract signing. Just eight days later, number 7 scored his first goal in a 2:0 win over Maccabi Netanya in the State Cup Round of 16.

“I could have stayed in Italy and it would been very comfortable, but I wanted to be playing. I came back for the simple reason that I wanted to play,” Zahavi remarked. “Everything will be up to me, how I mesh with the players and what I will do on the pitch.”

“I came to be part of a team and not to save the franchise. Maccabi Tel Aviv is already in first place and I came to help make sure we stay at the top and be part of the squad. I’ll have to work hard and get back to being the best that I can be. I’m sure I’ll succeed in doing just that,” Zahavi said with confidence.

Today, 3 years later, Zahavi with the captain’s armband has scored 109 goals for the club, won three league titles, one State Cup, advanced to the Europa League Round of 32 and made it to the Champions League Group Stages. “It’s hard for me not to play. It pains me when I’m not playing. That’s why I came to Maccabi Tel Aviv because I believe that I can do it,” commented Zahavi, perhaps not believing himself that he would have so much success with the Yellow-and-Blue.