At the end of the match, Maccabi’s team captain, Dor Peretz, who couldn’t have picked a worse night to equal Sheran Yeini’s appearance club record in European competitions shared his feelings following the Europa League defeat to Lyon: “Conceding six goals to a team of such a high level is something that is difficult for me to process. It doesn’t matter who we would have played, especially after the last match before the international break. It is hard to absorb.”
Peretz who reflected on the 6-2 league defeat to Beitar Jerusalem, explained: “I think that against Beitar, our main conclusion was that even against better teams that are in better momentum, we come in aggressively and come to do our job, and that was the basis for every match.” he continued: “We will face Ashdod on Sunday, and that is also the foundation for such a match. We did not bring that today, and that is my biggest disappointment. Our foundation was not there today nor against Beitar. It is disappointing.”
When asked about conceding two sets of six goals in two successive matches, Peretz said: “We’re frustrated; we want to learn how we can improve and correct things. I think that these upsetting feelings are the ones that can produce something positive, and I hope we draw the right conclusions, as players and as a staff. If not, we will be in trouble and carry this with us.”
Peretz then spoke about what comes next: “We do our homework the way it should be done. As the team captain, we must do our very best, to show up with the fundamentals that football requires, aggressiveness, willingness, and determination. When the fundamentals are there, I am the first to take responsibility and admit that we were not there. But today it was simply the absence of basic elements, something that is unacceptable, neither for me nor for us as players.”
To conclude, Peretz spoke about the fans who attended the match: “I am sorry that this is the experience we gave them today. I dreamed of giving both the fans at home and the fans who came today a wonderful experience, some kind of uplifting feeling after the bitter taste we were left with before the break. Let’s do it on Sunday.”
