Dolev Haziza's first night in a Maccabi Netanya shirt did not go the way he wanted. Netanya lost 3-2 at home to Hapoel Ramat Gan in a Toto Cup fixture on Sunday, and the new arrival, so used to winning at Maccabi Haifa, made no effort to hide his frustration afterwards.
"I don't accept such a defeat," Haziza said. "We shouldn't concede three goals at home." It was a blunt assessment for a player only a few days into his new club, but one that reflected the standards he carried over from seven years at Haifa.
There was a lighter note too. Haziza supplied the assist for Netanya's second goal, a reminder of the quality that made him one of the most reliable creative players in the Israeli Premier League over the past half-decade.
The bigger story, though, was simply being back on a pitch competing. "I missed playing. I went through difficult things at the start of the season," he said, alluding to a torrid few weeks before the move materialised.
"I'm trying to suppress the last six weeks," Haziza added. "I was captain at Haifa for seven years." He did not go into detail on exactly what soured his final months at the club, saying only that he would address it at another time.
The exit itself was abrupt after such a long and decorated stay. Haziza joined Maccabi Haifa in the summer of 2019 and became a central figure in the most successful period in the club's modern history, wearing the captain's armband through three consecutive championships and a run in the Champions League group stage. Haifa ultimately informed him this summer that he was outside the club's professional plans for the coming season, effectively ending his time there.
Maccabi Netanya, under coach Roni Levy, moved quickly to take advantage. Levy held direct talks with Haziza and pushed hard for the signing, and the two sides agreed a two-year contract reportedly worth around $250,000 per season. As part of the exit terms, Maccabi Haifa also contributed roughly NIS 400,000 toward his outstanding salary.
For Netanya, landing a player of Haziza's pedigree, a three-time champion and full Israel international, is a statement of intent as the club aims to build a squad capable of competing higher up the table. Haziza said he wants to help the team draw crowds back to the stadium and be ready for the matches ahead, starting with the rest of the Toto Cup campaign before the league season begins in earnest.
The defeat to Ramat Gan will sting regardless of the context. But for a player trying to move past a difficult exit from the club where he spent almost a decade, simply pulling on a new shirt and playing 90 minutes again was, in its own way, the point.
