Maccabi Petah Tikva Coach Unfazed by Reunion with Former Club

Maccabi Petah Tikva is set to face Hapoel Jerusalem on Saturday, a match that holds particular significance for coach Ziv Arie and player Illuz Yao, both former members of the Jerusalem club. Despite their past connections, Arie emphasized his focus on the present game, stating, "Every game on its own, another tough opponent. We will maintain our principles and be tight in defense, and hope for the best. The fact that I was in Jerusalem for a period is not relevant. I want to win with Maccabi Petah Tikva."

Yao, a defender, shared his feelings about returning to his first Israeli club. "I played there for 4 years and it's my first team in Israel. I love them because they showed me love and the people there were good. It will be a special game," he said. He added, "We will need to be focused and do what we practiced, and be perfect because we need to win. We will come to fight exactly like them. We need to be very strong to win."