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, recently spoke to Russian media about his career, including his time in Israel. Filipenko, a Belarusian international, admitted he regrets his decision to move to Israel, calling himself "stupid" for leaving Spain's Malaga.

Filipenko explained that while he enjoyed a lucrative period financially in Israel, earning nearly double what he did in Spain, he felt he should have stayed in Spain to prove himself. He was 28 at the time and felt pressure to maximize his earnings before his career ended. He also revealed he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in failed investments, equating it to losing a year's salary from his Israeli contract.

Despite the financial gains, Filipenko did not enjoy his time in Israel, particularly his move from Malaga. He felt he wasn't given a chance at Malaga and was eager to leave, despite the surprise of the Spanish club. He joined Maccabi Tel Aviv under then-Sporting Director Jordi Cruyff.

Filipenko also recalled a particularly painful match where his team led Zenit 3-0 with 15 minutes remaining, only to concede four goals and lose. He described the experience as a "complete disaster."

Now retired at 38, Filipenko is enjoying his time off and is not yet missing football. He is considering participating in a YouTube project discussing football in Belarus. He stated he is taking things slowly and not looking too far into the future.