“A Total Ordeal”: Matias Nahuel Opens Up About Maccabi Haifa and Life in Israel
Matias Nahuel gave an interview to "AS" following his departure from Maccabi Haifa, describing his time in Israel as one of the most difficult periods of his life. The midfielder admitted that security concerns made it impossible to focus on football.
Matias Nahuel gave an extensive interview this evening (Tuesday) to "AS" after his release from Maccabi Haifa, and spoke about what he defined as one of the most difficult periods of his life — in every sense. As recalled, the midfielder was purchased for 1.9 million euros — a sum that could have reached 2.5 million euros with bonuses — but struggled to deliver and eventually left for free.
"To be honest, I feel good," he said. "It's a different feeling. I am with my family after being away from them for so long. Since I was in Israel, and after the loan period at Jagiellonia, I was away from my wife and children. It was a difficult and complex situation, because I am a very family-oriented person, and I took it quite hard in that regard. But it's time to forget the past and think about the future, because something very big is about to happen, and I think everything will work out well."
When asked about the reunion with his family after the difficult period in Israel, he replied: "The first word that comes to my mind right now is relief. Relief, because when the offer arrived there was a ceasefire in the country, and so we all moved there — me and my family. We arrived, and a few days later the ceasefire ended. It was quite complex, because I was told, or promised, that the problems they had with certain countries were already over, and that was not the case. It was a bit chaotic, because I arrived with my family and my expectations changed. I arrived and discovered that the reality was different.
I decided that the situation was not suitable for my family and my children. I decided to stay alone, but my head was no longer occupied only with football. I was thinking about my family, about my children, about their health and safety and about everything that could have happened there."
When asked when he realized that the situation was not as promised to him, he replied: "Three days after we arrived we were at a hotel, and we received a call asking us to move to another hotel because the bombings were about to start. It was a devastating blow for me and my family. I told my wife that we must protect them, and the way to do that was for them to return to Spain and rebuild their lives there. It was hard, because I was forced to stay there alone, and it's not simple. When you are a father, you have a child and a wife and you are far from the people you love most, the pain is immense. You are no longer 100 percent focused on football, because you start thinking about other things too."
Nahuel revealed that he went through a very difficult period in Israel, physically and mentally: "It was a total ordeal, especially mentally. I couldn't free myself from this cycle of living in a country that deals with a conflict every day, where unpleasant things happen that I don't support. I don't support any political ideology. I don't like wars, I don't like bloodshed and I don't like seeing people die. I kept asking myself why all this is happening, because the world could be much better if there was more compassion in it. Why is there so much death? Why are there so many bombs? Why?
My head couldn't focus on football. There were other things I saw from the outside, and that's why the injury happened. That is also the reason I looked for a way to leave Haifa in the winter transfer window and move to another team. When things like this occupy you, it means that you are not happy in the country and that all these problems affect what happens in the player's head."
When asked about the opposition to the war, he said: "I don't support any political party. I believe the world should be united, that people should help each other and not kill each other. It was hard to experience it up close. Thank God, this chapter is over. I am starting a new period and a new chapter in my career, where I want to look forward and forget everything I went through in the past... The situation causes the death of many and many innocent people pay the price. I don't agree with this and express solidarity with them. I hope they will finally be able to reach an agreement and put an end to this, because if it continues, the world is in a mess."
On the request to leave — which was rejected: "I tried to do it through the club and asked them to help me find a way to leave in the transfer window. I brought the club an offer from a Polish team, a significant offer to buy me, but Maccabi Haifa rejected it. After the first year I wanted a change, I wanted to move to another place, but the club kept me. Their intention was for me to continue there. My intention, on the other hand, was always to leave. I even brought them offers so they would allow me to go, and they didn't agree. The matter continued until the January transfer window, but my head was no longer 100 percent focused on football."
On the next destination: "The most important thing is to think about my family. Family is everything to me. After everything I went through, the distance and the period when I was away from them, I will not be separated from them again, no matter how difficult the situation will be. I don't intend to be away from them again, because I suffered and it was very hard for me. Psychologically I was not myself. Sometimes you have to go through experiences and deal with them, and now it's time to think about the future. My intention is to listen to offers. The first priority is my family and knowing that no matter where I move, they will be there with me. This is the most important thing. I want my family to be comfortable, for my children to study in a school where they will be happy and that we can wake up with joy, without the uncertainty that something might happen at any moment."
