Inter can take Israel by storm
FOOTBALL A group of Brits are spearheading a new football club’s ambitious bid to reach Israel’s toptier.
Inter Aliyah FC — a team formed of players who have moved to Israel — have entered into Liga Gimel.
They might be five divisions away from reaching the Ligat Ha’al, but the part-time side have set their sights on playing the likes of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the future.
Captain Sam Sank, who made aliyah in 2009, is among the crop of players who used to compete in the MGBSFL.
He claimed that battling through the red tape required to create the club from scratch was worth the stress.
Sank, originally from Stanmore, said: “A lot of hard work has been put in from everyone. There have been a lot of boxes to tick to ensure we can compete at this level.
“It is a 10-year project for us to reach the top division. I would love to tell my children one day that I played at a professional level. Reaching the top is driving us all on.
“As a registered club with the Israeli FA it is possible we could be playing against Hapoel Beer Sheva or Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Cup next season. That’s an amazing prospect for us.”
Inter chairman Ricardo Horvath, who is from Ecuador, is the brains behind the idea and approached the Israeli FA last summer. A board was formed, sponsors drafted in and the £15,000 required to play, soon raised.
Sank, 26, added: “We are sponsored by Crossfit, which is a lifesaver, but we also need our own medical insurance. You also need a pitch, a doctor and referees. The list is endless. But that’s the difference between a Sunday league team and ourselves.
“This is all very serious. We are not paid and do it for the love of playing. And who knows where we can be as a club in a few years’ time?”
Inter Aliyah, who used to play in the Olim League, features a cosmopolitan squad of Germans, Swiss, Italians, Spaniards, South Americans and British expats.
Ex-West Brom trainee Nicky Plotnik is among the key players in a team managed by Jerome Katz.
Sank said “We play our home matches in Jaffa but it means we currently have to play in the Friday afternoon heat. That’s not easy but it has not put any of us off the adventure. And we have some quality players who have played at semi-professional level in their respective countries.
“If we can make it to the fourth division within two years it would represent success. It’s very hard to get out of the league, but success won’t come without trying.”