Eran Zahavi Launches National Padel League and New Venue

Former Israeli national soccer team and Maccabi Tel Aviv star Eran Zahavi has launched a new sports initiative, the "EZ7 Padel Tour," a national padel league, alongside a new padel venue he owns. The tournament is set to travel to various courts across Israel, aiming to unite the country's padel community.

"Soccer is always in my heart, but right now I'm focused on other things," Zahavi stated. "I've fallen in love with padel and am trying to take it a step further." He acknowledged that he still misses soccer, adding, "Of course I miss the grass. We shouldn't dwell on what we don't have now. We need to be thankful for what we had and move forward. The world belongs to the young."

Zahavi also commented on the upcoming match between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem, calling it "always a big game with two amazing fan bases." He noted that Beitar might be under pressure after a recent loss but cautioned against underestimating a "wounded animal," emphasizing that "everything is open" and Beitar is "very dangerous." He praised Hapoel's coach, Ronny Rosenthal, saying he is "doing an excellent job" and that the team "looks very good."

When asked about favorites for the Champions League, Zahavi was non-committal, admitting he had "barely watched any preparation games." He mentioned that the "big teams are always favorites," but recalled his incorrect prediction of Bayern Munich winning last year and expressed skepticism about Jose Mourinho's teams, stating, "I believe less in Mourinho."