Roy Revivo is set to make his 70th senior appearance for Maccabi Tel Aviv during Saturday’s WINNER League home match at Bloomfield against Bnei Reineh. Revivo, who together with his teammates and coaching staff visited Kfar Aza and the Nova site during the week, revealed how this visit at the Gaza surrounding communities affected him. “The tour was very tough for me personally” Revivo said before explaining. “I had a close friend who was at the Nova party and fortunately he managed to escape. On the day we exchanged text messages, so to feel the magnitude of the place is something which I find tough to even talk about. When we were there, it was tough for me as I never expected it to be that way. I think it was important t be there and see how each one of us perceives it. When you are there, it is just different.”
Maccabi faced Bnei Reineh twice this season winning 2-1 in the league at Nof Hagallil before suffering a 2-1 defeat at Bloomfield to be knocked out of the State Cup. On the challenge Maccabi will face against Reineh, Revivo said: “We are aware of our previous encounters and can’t wait for this match. I think that this time round we will be more focused. The late goals we conceded in the Cup were caused by a lapse of concentration as the balls fell between us, so we will put our emphasis on that, and the coaching staff will prepare us in the best possible way.”
With Maccabi trailing Hapoel Be’ersheva by two points, a victory in the early kickoff match (17:30) could take Zarko Lazetic’s side to the top of the table at least until the leaders end their game away to Maccabi Netanya. On the possibility of capturing top spot, Revivo said: “We’d obviously like to be top and if you want to win the league you must be at the top of the table. So, it is important.”
On a season which started slow and was plagued with a knee injury that sidelined him between September and December, Revivo said: “At the start of the season when I returned from the Olympic Games it took me a while to recapture my form. I then suffered an injury but this is the life of the footballer and one has to recover from that, gain strength and move on. Now I think that I am back to my best form.”
On the challenge of facing Reineh that this season recorded victories over Maccabi, Be’ersheva and Beitar Jerusalem, Revivo said: “They are a good side, a tough team but if we do what we have to do properly, we will win.”
On Maccabi’s relatively youn g squad and its’ effects on the campaign, the 21-year-old added: ”In my opinion age doesn’t make a difference. Jude Bellingham for example is 21 years old and is one of the world’s leading players, do if you ask me age is not important once a player is ready.”
On Maccabi’s performance during last week’s 3-1 victory over Bnei Sakhnin, Revivo summed up: ”I must first thank the fans for pushing us with 10 men. I think we showed a lot of character as a team, and believed we could do it.”
