Former Maccabi Tel Aviv Players Detail Intense Derby Pressure

Former Maccabi Tel Aviv players Maor Kandil and Tal Ben Haim revealed the immense pressure surrounding the team during their tenure, particularly concerning the decade-long streak of not losing a derby match against rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv. Speaking on the "Olim LaRegel" podcast, they described the anxiety and fear associated with these high-stakes games.

Kandil recounted the extreme stress, stating, "When we played, there was much more pressure because we hadn't lost for a decade. I would tremble before the derbies, the scariest in the world." He admitted that even facing a weaker Hapoel team was nerve-wracking, and he personally vowed to retire from football if he were the one to break the streak, especially after a cup final derby held a week before his wedding. He expressed relief that the team managed to avoid being the ones to end the undefeated derby run.

Ben Haim, a symbol of the club's derby history, shared similar sentiments. He confessed to telling himself that if he lost a cup final derby, he would retire without even announcing it. He described his pre-game rituals, isolating himself and becoming intensely focused, likening his state before a derby to being "mentally ill" and grabbing people by the ears out of sheer intensity.