Dor Peretz celebrated a perfect start to the 2025/26 league campaign with two goals in the 4-0 victory over Maccabi Netanya at Bloomfield. The 30-year-old Maccabi captain said at the end of the match: “I am happy to be in this position, in this role where I can help the team win matches. Looking at the bigger picture, this was, in my eyes, a very convincing victory for the team, we showed some good form which is very impressive. The aggression and intensity were at a high level, and I want us to maintain that going forward and take it with us.”
Trying to explain the team’s form on the back of a Europa League Playoff against Dynamo Kyiv which was played in Poland on Thursday, Peretz said: “I think we showed the principles we work on in training. We showed exactly the Maccabi we want to bring into every match, an intense team that wins balls back, plays forward, and creates chances. We came back just a day and a half ago from Poland, and we proved we can do it.”
Ahead of Maccabi’s grueling Europa League campaign that will see the team travel 8 times and host four matches abroad, Peretz added: “We need to prepare for it. Every player has to take his place seriously, both physically and mentally. We need to take care of ourselves. The staff is working to prepare the team in the best way possible. At the end of the day, the league is the most essential thing; from here we reach the European stage. We always have to remember that, to come to every league match and give our very best.”
On his role on the pitch which saw Peretz play at the top of the midfield trio and closer to the frontline, Peretz summed up: “I felt that I played in the middle with relative freedom, which allowed me to step up closer to the second striker. Fortunately, it worked today, and I hope it continues to work.”
On the expectations for the rest of the season, Peretz, the most experienced player in the squad, said: “I think we are building the team properly. The squad is coming together, and we are shaping what we want to see. In my opinion, more players will arrive before the window closes. Our goal is to gel as a team and be as prepared as possible for the rest of the season and for Europe, to show our very best football.”
