Zahavi: “Maccabi is the club of my life”
At the end of the match which saw him bow out for the final time as a Maccabi player, Eran Zahavi didn’t hide his emotions and he shared: “I think I cried more than I smiled. I just couldn’t have helped it. This set of fans has shown me love throughout the years. So many emotional moments and crazy matches. They believed in me at every moment, even in a difficult year. Personally and mentally, this was the most challenging season of my career. I am happy to have ended it this way with the club. I will remember this forever.”
The 37-year-old veteran marksman who won his 5th league title at Maccabi was asked to explain his tears and whether he was on the brink of retirement, said in reply: “These are tears of emotion. I know it will be very difficult to recreate such a bond between a player and a club. It’s hard to retire in this form, but the most important thing now is to take some time off, reflect, clear my head – and eventually, the moment will come. Whether I will feel that strong urge to keep playing, or whether I will simply decide that’s it. It was important for me to finish this way and come full circle at Maccabi. I would like to thank the club, the fans, and my family. I was deeply moved, and I’m just happy and proud that it ended this way.”
When asked to pick a specific moment that remains etched in his memory, Zahavi replied: “The moment I arrived and from the moment I arrived my life has changed. Maccabi is the club of my life.”
Zahavi, who walked off the pitch in the 67th to a standing ovation and a guard of honor from all his teammates, tried reflecting on those special moments: “It was a very emotional moment. They showed me so much respect. It was amazing. I was blessed with such beautiful and emotional moments. I just want to say thank you to God and to my family. I’m truly happy.” Zahavi concluded with an emotional message: “I would like to tell every player who dreams of becoming a successful footballer – one has to surround yourself with good people. My agent constantly told me not to break down, and that I would be there at the business end of the season. I would like to thank him. Now, we shall take some time to be happy.”
Dor Peretz’s summary of the night
Dor Peretz’s goal, his 18th of the season, opened the floodgates on the way the 5-0 victory which sealed the championship. The 30-year-old midfielder who won his fifth championship at Maccabi began the post-match TV interview by addressing two issues close to his heart: “I thought a lot about this interview, about this moment, I imagined it. I didn’t know who would be interviewing me. I said I’d begin with two things I normally don’t get to speak about. One happened just this week. We went through a tough season; our country went through a tough year. We took part in two moving ceremonies with Gadi Moses and Romi Gonen. In addition, we have brothers and sisters still in Gaza. We’re waiting for them—our brothers Gali and Zivi Berman. The second thing, I said I would share a memory I have of Gadi Kinda. I played with him for the national team, what an incredible person. During the match in Andorra, I truly understood the kind of person he was: so full of heart and giving. May his soul be bound in the bond of life. This is bigger than words. The entire football world grieves this situation. So much love and strength to his family.”
Peretz, who was named by the Israel Professional Football Leagues as the Player of the 2024/25 Season, was asked whether he ever imagined he would be interviewed with this title next to his name, responded: “I didn’t know, and I didn’t care. What mattered to me was arriving as a Champion. You can ask my wife, I have medals at home, including last year’s Championship. I cleared a space on the shelf in advance. I had to prepare for this mentally. As for being named ‘Player of the season’ in my eyes, we’re all Players of the Season. It’s a team effort and achievement. That personal title doesn’t matter to me. What is important is that we won the Championship and proved we’re the greatest winners.”
Peretz, who captained Maccabi for large parts of the season spoke of his teammate Eran Zahavi who played his final match for the club: “What a man, what a personality. I only hope I can carry on his legacy, his winning mentality, his passion, that fire burning within him without compromise. I hope we can continue that as a club. He was a leader, sometimes quietly, sometimes loud. He knew exactly how to do it. Immense respect for him. He is a true role model.”
On the championship celebrations, Peretz said: “We are happy and thankful to the fans for an insane season. We will continue to stand together and be grateful to one another for this emotional season. Credit also goes to the coaching staff for managing such a challenging and difficult season. This is a club that carries immense pressure, and they handled it brilliantly. Huge respect to everyone.”
