Beitar Jerusalem Coach Reveals Owner's Late-Night Support After First Win

Beitar Jerusalem's locker room experienced immense relief following their first victory of the season, a 1-0 win against Bnei Sakhnin at Doha Stadium. After a slow start with two losses and seven goals conceded, coach Almog Cohen used the win to address speculation about his position and reveal a surprising relationship with owner Barak Abramov.

"After our two losses, Barak Abramov sent me a message at 2 AM telling me how good I am, how much he respects me and believes in me. I've won a rare owner," Cohen shared post-game. The coach acknowledged the heavy pressure surrounding the club but stated, "We need to come to enjoy, not to a world war. As long as I'm here, my desire is for Beitar to win the championship this season."

The match also saw internal drama. Captain Yarden Shua was dropped from the starting lineup and only brought on in the 87th minute. Cohen took full responsibility for Shua's handling, saying, "I blame myself. I pushed him too quickly when he wasn't at 100%. As a coach, I should have handled it better."

Meanwhile, Omer Atzili, who started the game, had another disappointing performance, including a major missed opportunity and excessive focus on the referees. "Omer will get into things and score. He needs to focus on things related to him, not the referees," the coach concluded. Cohen is still seeking foreign reinforcement for the defensive midfield position before the transfer window closes.