Local Soccer: Matthaus satisfied after first Netanya game

Netanya's senior side beat the club's youth team 2-1 in a training match at the Wingate Institute, two days after Matthaus held his first training session in Israel.

By JEREMY LAST
Matthaus 88 (photo credit: )
Matthaus 88
(photo credit: )
New Maccabi Netanya coach Lothar Matthaus said he is "very happy" with what he saw after standing on the sidelines as his team played for the first time during this summer's preseason on Friday. Netanya's senior side beat the club's youth team 2-1 in a training match at the Wingate Institute, two days after Matthaus held his first training session in Israel. "I am very happy to see a game like this today and it helped me a lot," Matthaus told reporters after the game. "I saw the players like to give their best. This is important for me to see this mentality. It is the right mentality. I saw some good things and some not so good things. But I saw more in this practice game than in all the practices before." Awudu Okocha and Elon Weissberg scored for the senior team, which will leave for a training camp in Austria next week. Matthaus has not yet brought any new players into the club but is expected to look into upgrading the team in the coming weeks. While Betar Jerusalem is still recognized as the strongest team in Israel after winning the Premier League title for the last two seasons, it is no secret that Netanya owner Daniel Jammer has high hopes of stealing the crown from Jerusalem and Matthaus is an integral part of this plan. The former Germany international has vast experience as a player, having won the World Cup and European Championship, and as a coach, having won the Austrian and Serbian leagues. Praising what he saw on the pitch, Matthaus added: "I like to see good games. Players like to give their best for the club, for the spectators. Not for me - I'm not so important, the players are important. This is what I like to see in the field - to be concentrated, to have passion, to give their best and have fun and to enjoy the game."