Maccabi Haifa Coach Addresses Fan Frustration After Loss

Maccabi Haifa faces pressure ahead of their next match against Hapoel Petah Tikva following a disappointing 3-1 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the third round of the Israeli Premier League. The defeat has sparked significant fan anger and criticism directed at coach Barak Bakhar's lineup and the squad assembled by professional manager Lior Refaelov.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Bakhar acknowledged the team's shortcomings in the loss, stating, "We wanted to beat Maccabi Tel Aviv, we started well, but we didn't do things right and deservedly lost." He emphasized the need for a mental shift, adding, "We will make the switch, the right preparations, with the aim of recovering and winning."

Bakhar addressed the external noise, saying, "We have no control over what happens outside. We hear and read, but we try to disconnect from it." He noted the team is still gelling with many new players after only two games, having won one and lost one. "After two games, we need to wait with conclusions," he urged.

Regarding fan disappointment, Bakhar stated, "We know there is great expectation from us, the fans come and support and that is not a given. We will ensure we go up as the best, most aggressive there is, we will come to excite them, and for them to excite us."

He defended the team's summer efforts, explaining, "We worked very hard in the summer and before the summer - Lior, I, and the whole system - we made many changes, many left and many arrived, there are many new players here, this is a new team, there is no magic here." Bakhar stressed the need for time and patience, calling it a process, but expressed confidence in achieving better results.

Responding to comments made by former player Dolev Haziza, who criticized his departure from the club, Bakhar commented, "You can't argue with a person's feelings. Everyone chooses their way of parting and leaving a club, some will take it to the place of a victim, some will try to do it in a nice way, he chose his way. I always, when I left a club or was fired, chose to leave in a nice way and leave the door open, everyone chooses their way."