Maccabi Haifa fans submitted plenty of questions to the sporting director, Lior Refaelov and the club selected the most frequently asked questions for him to address in detail. Topics included an assessment of the summer transfer window, the left-back position, his relationship with Barak Bachar, the Greens’ goals for the current season, the lessons learned from last season and the boos from the stands.

How would you sum up the summer? Would you consider it a success?
“Quality players arrived, with experience and maturity. We made sure they fit the puzzle and the club’s DNA. Fans I meet are pleased with the attacking players we brought in and I also believe in our defensive players. We are a new team building something new, and they are already showing positive signs. The attacking game starts at the back, just as the defensive game starts up front. We will improve in that area as well. Overall, I believe we have a good squad with plenty of room to develop and fulfill its potential.”

Why did Maccabi Haifa struggle to bring in a defensive midfielder and a left-back?
“Let’s split that into two parts. At defensive midfield, we looked at what was available on the market and who could fit our needs. I prefer to focus on the players we have: Ali Muhamed, Yarin Levy and Navot Ratner, who has already been thrown into the deep end. We can also add Eitan Azoulay, who can play in that position. We want to play attacking football, so we generally try not to use two holding midfielders. We have good alternatives in players who can fill that role. All three are very strong on the ball, and given the style of football we want to play and the qualities of Eitan, Bruninho and Pedro Brazão, I am certainly satisfied with our midfield options.

“As for the left-back position, we had extensive discussions about it at the start of the transfer window and at the end of last season, because both Yinon Faingezicht and Pierre Cornud were injured. We brought in Tsunami, who can play at left-back. Sean Goldberg can also play on the left and Kenny Saief fits the profile of a more attack-minded left-back. We collectively decided that it was right to build around the players already here. I am following Cornud’s rehabilitation and he is pushing himself to return. I think and believe, that we have solutions in that position.”

What are the club’s goals?
“That hasn’t changed since I was a child: to compete for every title. We have built something new, and when you do that, it takes time for everything to come together. We had difficulties at the beginning, but we managed to win four games in a row, and things are looking better. There were challenges in the past, and there will be more in the future. We will be judged by what happens as the season progresses, and we will try to push one another to reach the highest level possible.”

How can the gap between the club’s management and the supporters’ organization be bridged?
“Maccabi Haifa has an enormous fan base throughout the country. I don’t see the team succeeding without the fans behind it. There is a song the supporters sing: ‘I’ll go with you through good and bad.’ We need the fans to be united, especially while we are building something new. The atmosphere has been outstanding lately and it is important to build on that to help the team progress and ensure we are all focused on what is best for Maccabi Haifa. I will do everything I can to make that happen.”

How did you feel when the fans called for you to resign?
“That is a sensitive subject. I hold a senior position at the club and both now and during my playing career, there have been moments I will never forget. The first was in 2010, during the split-season championship, when we lost the title. The second was at Sammy Ofer Stadium, hearing our own fans call for me to resign. You cannot ignore something like that. I was surprised, but that is football and you have to pick yourself up.

“It is important for me to make the fans understand that they see the team playing on weekends, but there is a process being built here across every department of the club. Standards are rising every day. I am involved in everything, including all the changes. I have the full support of Yaakov Shahar and Itzik Ovadia and we push one another to the limit in every area and department. That is the work we do.

“Did I consider resigning? I have worked hard to succeed and I am still at the beginning of my journey. There were difficulties, particularly in my first season after moving from the playing field to a management role following so many years as a player. I have very strong support from the club’s owner, who trusts me and believes in my approach and my work. I believe the hard work will pay off, and the voices coming from the stands will eventually be positive.”

What would you consider a success?
“Making our fans proud of the team. We have a long season ahead, and there will be obstacles along the way. But it is important that, in both the difficult and the joyful moments, the club and its supporters always see a united team. When Guy Melamed scored, all the substitutes and the players on the pitch embraced one another. That is what makes me happiest.”

What lessons did you take from last season’s failure?
“A club like Maccabi Haifa cannot take pride in what happened last season and it was disappointing. It is important for players to understand the club they are joining, the level of pressure and the expectations. The next step is to try to implement those lessons over the next two or three years and beyond, rather than constantly changing players every summer. It is extremely difficult to create continuity and build a strong core of Israeli players that way.

“We looked back at our championship-winning seasons and there were many national team players here. We need established Israeli players. Building a squad involves three components: foreign players whose character and quality allow them to adapt quickly here; the best Israeli players we can bring in; and of course, our youth academy and homegrown players. We need to integrate those young players into the senior team as quickly as possible.”

There have been many rumors about your relationship with Barak Bachar. How are responsibilities divided between you?
“The division of responsibilities is clear. We work according to the model used by every major club in Europe. On a personal level, I don’t know where the rumors are coming from, but our relationship is excellent and we spend many hours together, even beyond our time at Kfar Galim.”

Was it a mistake to retire as a player and take on a sporting role without prior experience?
“That is an excellent question. The playing bug is still there. Every time there is a free kick or a move on the pitch, I want to run down and get involved. That probably will never go away, but it is what it is. I made a decision knowing it would be challenging. I learn every day and it is important to me to keep developing professionally and stay in contact with everyone I work with, both in Israel and abroad. Another important factor is being able to do this at the club where I grew up.

“For me, it is a dream to be in the position I hold today and help this club achieve success, win titles and play in Europe. I hope we will return to hosting European matches at Sammy Ofer Stadium. Those are our goals for the near future.”