Barda and Morgan at the press conference ahead of Tiberias: “We’re playing against players who can cause us a lot of damage; we’ll have to come prepared
Hapoel will travel this Saturday (Feb 7, 15:00) to face Ironi Tiberias as part of Matchday 22 in the Winner League. Head coach Elyaniv Barda and defender Ziv Morgan shared their thoughts ahead of the match at a press conference.
Head Coach Elyaniv Barda: “We’re approaching a game against a team that made life very difficult for us here at home in the previous round,” the coach opened. “They have a very talented, physical side and are especially good at set pieces. I hope we improve our record in away matches."
Regarding the opponent, Barda added: "Tiberias’ situation? I focus on my own team: how to improve it and how to get it ready. Tiberias is an excellent team with many players who can cause us damage, so we’ll have to come as prepared as possible. What’s happening in the courts is not our concern.”
Regarding the new signing, striker Emmanuel Boateng: “Emmanuel has trained with us for only two sessions. He’ll need time to adapt, both in terms of settling in and physically, since he’s coming off a month-long break. We’ll need to monitor him and make a decision about his inclusion in the squad on Saturday.”
On the importance of the fans’ support: “We’d love for the fans to come in large numbers, support the players, and help them complete the mission - because it definitely won’t be simple. Many of the points we earn are thanks to the crowd and the energy they give us in the final minutes, when we find our last reserves of strength because of their tremendous push. They deserve a huge thank you.”
When asked about the team’s goals for the rest of the season: “The goal is always the same. We want to finish as high as we possibly can. We won’t set a limit; we want to reach the maximum - and go beyond it.”
On Xande Silva’s fitness: “He started with bad luck in his first match when he was sent off, and then with a serious groin injury that kept him out for three and a half months. Xande worked hard during that period, supported his teammates, and they supported him. He’s starting to return to fitness and we’re integrating him gradually. I’m happy that in the two matches we’ve played him, he influenced the game.”
Defender Ziv Morgan: “Before anything else, I want to talk about the fans,” Morgan opened. “When we were kids and started imagining what our future as footballers would look like - this is what we imagined: the atmosphere at Bloomfield on Saturday and in recent matches in general. The push, the energy, and the dedication are world-class. It’s an honor for us to represent them, play for them, and make them happy.”
On coming back down to earth after the derby and the win over Maccabi Netanya: “As Elyaniv said, we have a squad of mature players who understand very well what’s expected of them. We won the derby and had two days of celebrations, but the next training session felt completely normal, as if nothing had happened. I’m glad we’re breaking the stereotypes.”
On his status within the team: “Being a bench player isn’t easy. You come to every training session with the goal of proving yourself and waiting for your opportunity. My luck is that we have an amazing locker room. You never feel inferior to anyone and socially we’re all one group. The understanding is that this is football - there are ups and downs. You have to be ready for your chance and take it with both hands, because there are other players who want to take your place.”
“Relegation was not an easy thing for any of us,” he shared. “As players who went down with the team and stayed in the National League, we knew the first goal was to bring the club back to the Premier League. This season we’re trying to take the club as high as possible. We feel the strength around us and we’re happy about it. The captain’s armband? At such a big club with rich tradition and incredible fans, it’s a great honor.”
