Aitor Karanka’s tenure as Maccabi Tel Aviv’s new Head Coach got off to a flying start on Saturday with a 3-0 victory over Ashdod on his debut match in charge. While Djordje Jovanovic scored twice and Eran Zahavi added another, Gabi Kanichowsky had a man-of-the-match performance with some creative moves which set Bloomfield stadium alight. (watch the clip at the bottom of the article)
In addition, Kanichowsky faced the media at the end of the match and revealed the feelings in the dressing room following the arrival of the new coach, as well as his personal development since rejoining Maccabi last summer.
Watch: Kanichowsky’s magical moment
On the support he received from the fans at Bloomfield on Saturday, he said: “It really took me by surprise, but it is always fun to receive the support of the fans especially when they cheer you on. Nothing in the world beats that feeling”.
Kanichowsky, reflected on the arrival of the new Spanish coach: “It has only been two days and one can’t predict what will happen, but at the end of the day we must win matches and and meet our targets regardless of the coach’s identity. We must simply do our job as players and as a club.”
Kanichowsky, who returned to the club at the start of the 2021/22 season and has since played under five different coaches in Patrick van Leeuwen, Barak Itzhaki, Mladen Krstajic, Vladimir Ivic and now Aitor Karnaka, added: “I initially thought that everything will be easy right from the start in the first season, but there is nothing easy in life. This is life, this is football, as you arrive at a place and imagine things will be on e thing but they end up being another. The club develops coaches in the best possible way. It was clearly said that whoever doesn’t want to be here will not be here, so we are happy that our current coach wishes to be here and we move on”.
