"My mother entered Moshe Sinai's house and there was a mess, chaos"
The stormy separation from Hapoel Tel Aviv ("Father opened the pension fund"), the son in the youth team of Beitar Jerusalem ("I invest all of myself in him, opposite to what I didn't receive from father"), and the confrontation with Berkovic in the debut in the seniors ("I gave him a hand, he pushed me away and said 'Feigenboim you son of a bitch'"). Ronen Feigenboim in an interview.
Ronen Feigenboim is still known today mainly as the son of Shaye Feigenboim, but he also completed a long career in the top leagues, having grown up at Hapoel Tel Aviv but recording only three appearances for its senior team.
Roots and Early Days
"My father is Shaye, my mother is Malka. We are three daughters in the family and I am in the middle; I was born on April 2, 1979," Ronen recounts. The family's football tradition began with his grandfather Israel, who played for the historic Hakoah Vienna after World War II. Later, the family lived in a house touching the wall of the Bloomfield stadium, where Ronen's father became a legend for Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Ronen began his own football journey at age six. "The unforgettable picture of my father taking me to a training session at Bloomfield, where Liran Strauber, Tomer Eliyahu, and others were. Over the years, I grew to a height of 184 cm and played as a stopper and defensive midfielder," he recalls.
Debut and the Berkovic Incident
His senior debut is remembered not just for the game itself, but for a harsh encounter with Eyal Berkovic. "The Hapoel Tel Aviv manager called me near midnight and informed me that coach Moshe Sinai decided I was starting against Maccabi Haifa. I was assigned to man-mark Eyal Berkovic. I received a yellow card, and when I went to shake his hand, Berkovic pushed me away and said, 'Feigenboim, you son of a bitch.' I cannot forget that."
Life After Hapoel
Leaving his home club was a difficult process. When the transfer fee became an issue, Ronen's mother went to Moshe Sinai's house to settle it. "Mom went in, and there was a big mess there, chaos. It was settled for 40,000 shekels; father opened his pension fund and transferred the money," Feigenboim shares.
Later in his career, he played for Tzafririm Holon under Spiegler, Maccabi Petah Tikva, and Bnei Yehuda. Ronen fondly remembers a State Cup victory over Eli Guttman's Hapoel Haifa: "In the 88th minute, I kicked a ball from the corner of the box that got stuck between the angles, and in the last move, we made it 3:2. Guttman fell to the grass."
Family and the Future
Today, Ronen is married, lives in Hod HaSharon, and devotes his time to his children. His daughter Neta, despite an injury, fought to serve in a combat unit and served as a combat soldier during the war in Gaza. His son, Tamir, plays for the Beitar Jerusalem youth team.
"I invest all of myself in Tamir, unlike what I didn't receive from my father Shaye," Ronen admits. "I drive him to Jerusalem for training and games, and I am sure that Tamir will be the next Feigenboim in the Premier League."
