Belgium and Israel are set to clash this Sunday. A former Israeli player shares his thoughts on the match, particularly focusing on how players manage to remain focused on the game despite the ongoing conflict.
In a context marked by tensions in the Middle East, one question lingers: how do players from a war-torn country manage to fully concentrate on a football match?
“Simply because they are professionals!” explains the Haifa native in an interview with Sudinfo. “But let’s not kid ourselves: nothing is simple. Especially for those still playing in the local league. For the others, there is a certain moral comfort present.”
Rosenthal refrains from any political stance: “I feel profound sorrow for both peoples who are suffering and for the innocents who are losing their lives.”
The match, relocated to the Bozsik Arena in Budapest, comes under a framework of heightened security: “I understand this measure. That said, it is not applied as strictly within the country. Supporters travel, and each team plays in its usual stadium. In Europe, the effectiveness of the Iron Dome is often underestimated. This missile defense system provides a relative sense of security. Furthermore, the population has always lived with this pressure. You eventually get used to it, even to that.”
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Rosenthal then shifts to purely sporting matters: “From the moment the draw was made, we knew that it would have been hard to get a worse outcome. France, Italy, Belgium… that’s the elite. It left little hope, especially in the current context. At home, in a full and vibrant stadium, there might have been a chance to achieve an upset here or there.”
“But in empty stands, in an unfamiliar environment, it is much more complicated. The motivation is not the same. For the national team and its development, this is a hurdle. But today, the priority lies elsewhere: the hope of witnessing peace return. The rest, let’s be honest, is secondary.”
