Ross Kastin: "This year we are no longer learning, we are building"
The owner of Maccabi Netanya promised to arrive for the season opening round and declared at the gala event: "We will strive for excellence in all areas." Mayor Avi Salma: "I commit to investing millions in the team."
Maccabi Netanya held a festive gala event this Sunday at the stadium in Netanya ahead of the season opening. Owner Ross Kastin participated via video call from Miami, USA, and delivered a speech. The event was attended by club officials, including CEO Gil Lev, the professional staff led by coach Roni Levy, as well as players such as Oz Bilu, Matheus Dabo, Samuel Silva, and Dolev Haziza. Netanya Mayor Avi Salma was also present and addressed the audience.
Kastin, who promised to arrive in Israel for the Premier League opening round as he did last season, stated:
"I really looked forward to being here and meeting you and the team face-to-face, and I intend to come and watch the first game; for me, this is the real opening whistle. Maccabi Netanya was founded in 1934 and has won championships, doubles, and has a European presence. There is a 90-year legacy here, and whoever connects to this club connects to a club that has proven itself."
The owner further added: "In the first season, I learned about the team, the fans, the city, and Israeli football. This year we are no longer learning, we are building. I expect that in the coming season we will play determined, committed, and attacking football, and we will strive for excellence in all areas."
CEO Gil Lev added: "Maccabi Netanya is a club that is renewing itself and undergoing major changes to build something stable that grows from year to year. As someone who is in the system every day, I see the progress. We started by upgrading the club's infrastructure, and I want to thank Roni Levy for the difficult summer, in which it is not easy to bring players to the country because of the situation. We brought in a skilled staff and made changes to the player roster."
Netanya Mayor Avi Salma said: "We must provide significant value to our youth. Sitting here with us are former players who were a dream for us. Many of us as children saw how it is possible to choose a different path: you don't have to go and do stupid things on the street, but you can take a ball and play, dream, and compete. It is everyone's responsibility to support this dear club, which constitutes a significant milestone, and its fans who are always happy for their team."
Salma further added: "I strongly believe that Roni Levy and his players will bring us satisfaction. I, as mayor, am committed to the team and its success, and I commit to investing millions in the team, together with Ross Kastin, to ensure that we provide the right budget to bring Netanya to the place where it wants to be."
