Creating memories: Hapoel Tel Aviv returns to the place where its ethos was built
After passing Ludogorets and Katowice, the Reds deservedly secured their place in the Conference League playoffs. For a club whose prestige has always relied on magical continental nights, this is much more than just another European achievement. Now the strong Atalanta awaits, but the dusting off of old photos has already begun.
Despite ten minutes of rapid heartbeats at the beginning of the second half against Ludogorets and another ten minutes at the end of the return leg against Katowice (an allergic reaction by Elyaniv Barda almost led to an unforgivable turnaround), Hapoel Tel Aviv deservedly advanced last night to the Conference League playoffs after two meetings in which it was more dominant, higher quality, and more mature.
The cynics and skeptics, who seek to diminish the achievement, will say — and not without justice — that Ludogorets has known better days and that Katowice never even knew them. It does not matter. The main thing is the beautiful days that Hapoel knew, and which it was already tempting to think it would never know again. Last night in Poland, Hapoel returned to the water wells. It found nothing in them, so it filled them itself.
Europe is the place where all Israeli football is aimed. This is the standard by which we judge ourselves. For over 30 years we have been striving to feel part of it. Success in the continental arena is not only the heart's desire of Hapoel Tel Aviv — everyone dreams of it — but in its case, Europe is a significant part of the ethos. In the last quarter of a century, it does not have the championships of Maccabi Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa, and Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Because of this, the relative share of successes in Europe — UEFA Cup quarter-final, Champions League campaign, other beautiful rounds in the Europa League — is greater. The true prestige of Hapoel Tel Aviv is found overseas. Its prestige compass is aimed there.
This season it begins the first steps, and by their nature the most difficult to execute, back to its north. It begins the hard and dirty work of cleaning the dust from the yellowing photos and creating new memories. The cruel draw in the next round — which continues the trend of relative bad luck also in the previous stages — hints at the approaching end. Atalanta, a team that reached the Champions League round of 16 last season, is probably too big for Hapoel Tel Aviv even if it stands on its tiptoes, stretches its hands, and jumps as high as it can.
It is not important. The next time Hapoel Tel Aviv returns to Europe — and for that it will not take 12 years — everything will be much more natural. Not fairy tales about players some of whom are already in the sixth decade of their lives. These will be them themselves. And perhaps next week it is not the beginning of the end, but simply the beginning of something truly great. Perhaps next week, 25 years minus a month later, it will be the second incarnation of the victory over Chelsea.
