Ex-Israeli Soccer Player Igor Filipenko Regrets Move to Israel

Former Maccabi Tel Aviv and MS Ashdod defender Igor Filipenko, who announced his retirement from football in May, reflected on his career in a recent interview with Russian media. Filipenko, a Belarusian international, stated that he doesn't miss football two months into retirement, attributing his decision to a lack of motivation and his daughter starting school. He is currently exploring a YouTube project focused on Belarusian football.

Filipenko expressed regret over his decision to join Maccabi Tel Aviv from Spanish club Malaga, calling himself "stupid." He felt he was not given a fair chance at Malaga, despite being named Belarus's best defender twice and playing in the Champions League. He joined Maccabi Tel Aviv because he was tired of being on the bench in Spain, despite having another year on his contract. He acknowledged that Jordi Cruyff, then Maccabi's sporting director, facilitated the move.

Financially, Filipenko found his time in Israel lucrative, earning nearly double what he made in Spain. He was 28 at the time and sought to maximize his earnings before his career ended. He noted that his highest salaries were earned in Israel and Yekaterinburg, Russia, which allowed him to acquire property. However, he also admitted to losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in failed investments, equating the loss to a year's salary from his Israeli contract, and stated he is now more cautious with money.

Filipenko also recalled a particularly painful match where his team led Zenit St. Petersburg 3-0, only to concede four goals in the final 15 minutes, describing it as a "complete disaster."