ISRAEL: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Israel's captain Yossi Benayoun speaks of Arsenal loan move ahead of Euro qualifier

Record ID: 396880

  • Title: ISRAEL: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Israel's captain Yossi Benayoun speaks of Arsenal loan move ahead of Euro qualifier
  • Date: 2nd September 2011
  • Summary: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (SEPTEMBER 1, 2011) (REUTERS) ISRAELI NATIONAL TEAM CAPTAIN YOSSI BENAYOUN ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI MIDFIELDER YOSSI BENAYOUN SAYING: "I am very happy, first, to join to a club like Arsenal. It's a big club, it's a good opportunity for me and a big challenge. And, well, when I finish with the national team I am waiting to go
  • Embargoed: 17th September 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel, Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAEB38GJ8HCSXCH8BAD35V3C7F6
  • Story Text: Israeli national soccer team captain Yossi Benayoun spoke on Thursday (September 1) of his season-long loan to Arsenal at a news conference ahead of Israel's Euro 2012 qualifier against Greece. The match will be played on Friday, September 2.
    Benayoun's transfer to Arsenal was announced minutes before the close of the English transfer window on August 31 at 20:00 GMT and is considered by many as a part of manager Arsenal Wenger's desperate plan to revive HIS team after they were destroyed 8-2 by Manchester United on Sunday.
    Benayoun, 31, joined Chelsea from Liverpool a year ago but his short spell at Stamford Bridge was blighted by injury.
    "I am very happy, first, to join to a club like Arsenal. It's a big club, it's a good opportunity for me and a big challenge. And, well, when I finish with the national team I am waiting to go back and meet my new friends and start a new challenge in my career," Benayoun told reporters in Tel Aviv.
    Other arsenal swoops include Mikel Arteta, Per Mertesacker and Andre Santos. Wenger, under pressure to strengthen his squad after picking up just one point from their opening three league matches, also signed South Korea striker and captain Park Chu-young from AS Monaco on Tuesday.
    The Greek squad currently heads Group F with just a point separating them from challengers Croatia and Israel. Israel, however, have three matches left for their rivals have four.
    Asked by a Reuters reporter if the loan to Arsenal has boosted his confidence towards the Friday match, Benayoun replied "Well, no, I felt a lot of confidence also before... with all the respect, I was in Chelsea. You know, it doesn't matter if I would have stayed in Chelsea, its a very good club, very big club. I always had the confidence that we can win the game tomorrow."
    "I had to do it (miss a national training session) because, you know, to go and try to sign for another club because it was the last day of the transfer. I came back with the same confidence, with a lot of belief that we will win the game and I'm sure we will do it," the Israeli captain added.
    Israel's coach Luis Fernandez will have to manage without two influential forwards, Elyaniv Barda and Ben Sahar, who are both injured. Israeli media reported on Thursday that Fernandez warned his players to be particularly vigilant of Greece midfielder Giorgos Karagounis of Panathinaikos.
    "Tomorrow we are hosting the team heading this group, for those of you who are not aware, a team that wasn't beaten yet...we are expecting a very very difficult match tomorrow," Fernandez told reporters.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register