Hapoel Tel Aviv Owner Rallies Team After Derby Loss

Following a heavy defeat to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Super Cup on Thursday, Hapoel Tel Aviv owner Ofer Yanai addressed his players in the locker room, urging them to learn from the loss. Yanai stated that he hates to lose but views defeats as fuel for improvement, citing lessons learned from previous series against Maccabi and Real Madrid. He specifically mentioned the need to build a team with two equally strong lineups, inspired by Real Madrid, and to acquire naturalized players, referencing Maccabi's success with one such player.

Yanai also criticized the officiating, calling it illogical and unfair, and named specific players who he felt were not receiving favorable calls. He acknowledged that playing against Maccabi often involves biased refereeing but stressed that the team's expectation is to play with high energy and focus regardless. The owner expressed disappointment that the team "lost their heads" and appeared to have lost their spirit during the game, hoping they would channel their hatred of losing into a better performance next time.