Ran Kozuch: "No excuses, it was disgraceful, regardless of the lineup"
The Hapoel Be'er Sheva coach apologized to the fans for the defeat: "In terms of attitude, we must always show up." Silves on the postponement of the first round: "It's frustrating."
When Ran Kozuch decided to field a secondary lineup for Saturday's Toto Cup match against Hapoel Haifa, it is unlikely he imagined it would end in such a defeat. Roni Levy's team showed no mercy, fully exploited the situation, and celebrated four times on the way to an impressive 0:4 victory. Following the result, the Haifa side finished in fifth place in the competition, while the Reds from the Negev are ranked in sixth place.
Despite the unpleasant result, the champion is probably not too disappointed. It set a goal: to arrive as prepared as possible for the Conference League playoff against Sabah in four days. From its perspective, a match that ends without injuries and with plenty of rest for all key players is certainly not a major disaster.
"You won't hear excuses from me," Kozuch said at the end. "In any lineup, Hapoel Be'er Sheva must look like Hapoel Be'er Sheva. It was disgraceful. I apologize to the fans who came."
Regarding the future, he said: "We are looking for several players for several positions. We will do what is necessary to strengthen. The playoff is the most important match for Hapoel Be'er Sheva. We have an opportunity against an excellent team that eliminated quite impressive rivals along the way. It won't be easy, but there is an opportunity. Anyone who doesn't know Sabah might say we passed the hardest hurdle, but this is the hardest. They press all over the field, they are fast, well-coached. I am emphasizing this game because for me and the staff, everything starts with the small things. There is a difference between the competitions, but in terms of attitude, we must be a team that always shows up."
Ofir Davidzada stated: "Not a good game for us, to put it mildly. We come to win every game, no matter who plays. I apologize to the fans. We didn't want it to look like this. We are very disappointed but looking forward, keeping our heads up. We know the importance of the match against Sabah, we are excited, we will arrive ready. Every footballer's dream is to be in the Conference League, we work hard. We can definitely do it. We need to come with faith and confidence."
On the other hand, Hapoel Haifa coach Haim Silves was ecstatic: "Even in a practice match, to beat such a team 0:4. Even though they played with a secondary lineup, we scored four goals and could have had more."
Silves spoke about the postponement of the league's opening round, also against Hapoel Be'er Sheva, due to the opponent's participation in the playoffs: "It's frustrating that the game was postponed. It is very important for Be'er Sheva, and we support everyone who plays and succeeds in Europe. On the other hand, they gave us a tight schedule. It felt like we were less considered, I say this as gently as possible. Very frustrated by this. I feel that we are not taken into account in the equation. There is no logic."
Shay Elias, who scored against his former team, added: "It's sweet. We are still connecting and learning about ourselves. It gives confidence, but we are not blinded."
