A sad end to a wonderful career. Magen Maccabi Haifa, San Menachem Retired from football at the age of only 30, this after a year and a half off the field following the same head injury that happened in January 2023 during a match of the Greens against Maccabi Bnei Rayna, when Menachem lost consciousness and was taken to a hospital. Menachem, who is expected to get a professional position with the Carmel team, officially announced this morning (Wednesday) that he is hanging up his shoes at a press conference at Sami Ofer Stadium.
After a few minutes in which he had difficulty speaking, Menachem opened his words as he choked with tears: “This is it. I am retiring from football. A year and three months that I don’t do the thing that I believe and know that I came into the world for. Exactly 11 years ago I went up for the first time to play in the seniors and I did not imagine where I would end up in my career with great supervision. I didn’t think I would achieve almost everything in football, and when I did, who thought it would end earlier than expected, at the age of 30, in the prime of my career? You knew my character as a player and you understood that I am one who gives my heart and body on the field, committed to my place and home to the end, no matter if I started or came on as a substitute, I gave everything and paid for it.”
“One year and three months ago in a match against Bnei Rayna in Sami Ofer, I collided with the opponent’s player’s head, lost consciousness, experienced an epileptic fit and the tests showed bleeding in the brain. From that moment I embarked on a long journey of tests, if only for the faint chance that I would continue to wear the Maccabi Haifa uniform. I came to the best professors in the world, I was convinced that I would return and I believed. I told every person on the street who asked that I was coming back, and I really believed it. Not long ago I received the final stamp that I can no longer play football, which is life-threatening for me, and now I am sitting here to inform you of this,” he added.
Watch San Menachem’s moving retirement speech
“With all this, I want to thank the Creator of the world for the great luck and the privilege that fell to me to belong to a huge club like Maccabi Haifa. Those who haven’t played here will never understand it. I feel like I grew up here, I went through everything with Maccabi Haifa, from the most difficult period when everything seemed dark to the period when we were able to restore and shape the wineries on which the club’s DNA is built. I played on the biggest stages in the world against the best players in the world. We went through crazy and emotional experiences together that not every actor gets to experience. I was blessed with friends who became family, to play for the Israeli national team and to play for the best crowd in Israel and the best in Europe,” said Menachem.
“What will happen next? I am convinced that good things and new challenges await me, in the meantime I want to say thank you. First of all, to the Creator of the world for the privilege and gift I received, thanks to Jackie Dahan, my agent who accompanied me throughout my career, thanks to the president of the club Yaakov Shahar, Uzi Mor and Or Shahar who from the moment I arrived were there for me and supported me throughout the period. Thanks to all the staff and management, headed by Itzik Ovadia. Thanks to the coaches, players and the best audience there is. Thanks to my family and my beloved wife who supported me and was there for me in all the happy and sad moments. I am retiring from playing football, but not from Maccabi Haifa. And finally, my difficulty is dwarfed by what we are going through here in our small and beloved country. We will remember all those who were murdered, some of them encouraged me here in the stands. I pray for the return of all the abductees and the safe return of the IDF soldiers,” he concluded.
San Menachem is moved (Omari Stein)
What is your greatest moment at the club?
“The first championship. I came here at the age of 20 during a not-so-good time for the club, a lot of players didn’t want to come here and as a kid I entered a dressing room with great players who did a thing or two. I didn’t talk as a kid in the locker room, but I absorbed a lot and knew how to channel it into places that would help me later. I believed wholeheartedly that at some point this club would reach the place it deserved. It sat on me personally and on everyone who was with me at that time, and the moment we won the championship there were feelings that cannot be explained in words.”
Who is the greatest player you have ever played against?
“Fortunately, I also played against Cristiano Ronaldo, against Leo Messi and against Neymar. It’s a crazy experience, if I look back to the age of 8 when I started playing, I didn’t believe for a moment that I would reach these places.”
San Menachem and the family (Omari Stein)
What’s the next step?
“It’s still very new to me, when I get to the bridge I’ll cross it. I have direction. It’s something I brought up with the management, we’ll leave it between us, but in general I can say that all my friends who are sitting here, know how much I identify with the club and how much I can contribute and help them personally and as a team. This is a thought that sits firmly with me and I have passed it on to whoever needs to be passed on and we hope that with God’s help we will find the right path.”
Another exciting moment was when Sherry called you to lift the championship plate with him last season.
“I am full of appreciation for Chiron Sherry who spent many years with me and saw fit to call me while I was injured to hoist the last championship plate and it was an exciting moment. Looking back, I should be thankful for sitting here today. It’s true that I’m done with football, but I earned my life.”
Tell about the daily difficulty since you were injured.
“The difficulty is very great. 23 years I’ve been dealing and breathing and living this thing called football and suddenly I’m not dealing with it. Beyond that, I opened up to pills that I unfortunately need that doctors don’t recommend at this age. They have effects. The difficulty is great, but thank God I have my family and my dear wife who are able to accommodate me and give me the calm and quiet place.”
Lior Rafalov watches the words of San Menachem (Omari Stein)
Is there anything you regret about your career?
“The truth is no. I am very complete with every game and every move in training. Even with mistakes I made, and I made quite a few. They really made me the complete player that I became, so unequivocally I don’t regret anything.”
How do you sum up your relationship with the audience?
“I am not saying goodbye to the audience, it will always have a place in my heart. In less good times that were when I arrived here and there were many games that according to the public, and rightfully so, we were not good. The audience knew how to come to Kfar Galim and show it, and I realized what strengths this audience has. This is not an audience of only successes, even when it was not good there were 30 thousand in Sami Ofer, who also booed and cursed, but showed up and came and invested the best of their money. I always wanted to be a part of them, feel them and succeed in bringing that to the dressing room, and I think in the end I succeeded, and I’m proud of that.”
Abdoulaye Sek and Franzi Piero in Masa’at (Omari Stein)
Can Maccabi Haifa still win this year’s championship?
“Statistically, of course. I think there is a very crucial game on Saturday, and I’m sure my friends have been preparing for it all week and know exactly what needs to be done. They have an excellent team that works with them every day and with God’s help they will be able to get three points and reduce the gap. Let’s hope that in the end we will have the upper hand.”
“Sun conquered almost every possible peak”
Gal Alberman He said: “This status is exciting here alongside Sun’s friends and family, whom I want to thank on behalf of Maccabi Haifa for wonderful years in the team’s uniform. Sun had an amazing career and achieved almost every possible peak in the team’s uniform. He joined during the difficult years of the club, slowly paved his way into the team and became an important part of the club’s success and prosperity. The road was full of difficulties and moments of crisis, including the question on the way, but Sun fought, did not give up and proved that he is made of the stuff of the strong. He grew out of the difficulties, became one of the leaders of Maccabi Haifa, played for the team in the Champions League and worked his way into the Israel national team.
Gal Alberman and San Menachem on the road (Omari Stein)
“He earned the trust and appreciation of the green crowd and led the team to moments of happiness that every beginning footballer dreams of. After that, he was seriously and dangerously injured. Since then he has gone through emotionally complex and not simple moments for a professional footballer. Despite this, during this period he continued to accompany and was an integral part of the dressing room. He was and remains a worthy and beloved figure. As a former player myself who found employment after retiring from football, I know Sun will go through a similar process. It’s complex, but we’ll help as much as we can. Sun, we all love you very much.”
Dolev Haziza He added: “On behalf of all the players, we want to say thank you very much. As you said, there are important things from football. It was personally difficult for me to sit here and listen. Thank you for everything you brought. You personally helped me a lot and I can say that you are one of my teachers on the field who helped me bring and produce what I know, you helped and supported me at every moment. Also Neta Lavi and Chiron Sherry who experienced a lot with him and are not here, I’m sure they are sad that you are leaving football, but also happy that you earned life. I am sure that this is not the end of the story, and that we will still be happy together. we love you so much”.
“We want to say thank you very much.” Firecracker with Gadi Kinda (Omari Stein)
The player then shared on his Instagram: That’s it, I’m retiring from football. A year and three months that I don’t do and live the thing that I believe and know that I came into the world for. Exactly 11 years ago, I went up for the first time to play in the seniors and I did not imagine where I would reach in my career and in a big oversight I did not think that I would achieve almost everything in football and when I did, who would have thought that it would end earlier than I expected, in total at the age of 30, the peak of my career.”
He also wrote: “You knew my character as a player and I am one who gives my heart and body on the field, committed to my place and home until the end. It doesn’t matter if I started in the lineup or entered as a substitute, I gave everything and paid for it. A year and 3 months ago in a game here at home against Reina, minute 61, I went up for a high ball and collided with the opponent’s player’s head, you know the rest, I lost consciousness and experienced an epileptic attack. The MRI showed bleeding in the brain. From that moment I embarked on a whole journey of tests, committees, doctors and experts from the biggest in the field.
“Even for the smallest chance that I will return to wear the uniform of Maccabi Haifa, I reached out to the best professors and anywhere in the world. I am a very believing person and believe me that all this time I believed and was convinced that I would return. Every person on the street who asked me when I was coming back, I said yes, I really believed it. Not long ago I received the final stamp that I can no longer play football, which is a life-threatening situation for me, and now I am sitting here to inform you of this.”
San Menachem (Omari Stein)
Menachem continued: “With all this, I want to thank the Creator of the world for the great luck and the privilege that fell to me to belong to a club like Maccabi Haifa. Those who haven’t played here will never understand. I feel like I grew up here. I went through everything with Maccabi. From the most difficult period when everything seemed dark to the one when we were able to restore and shape the wineries on which the club’s DNA is built.
“I played on the biggest stages in the world, against the biggest players in the world. I won titles and went through crazy and emotional experiences together that not every player gets. I was blessed with friends who became family, I was blessed to be part of the Israeli national team, I was blessed to be captain and play for the best crowd in Israel and the best in Europe.”
The defender spoke about the future: “What will happen next? I am convinced that good things and new challenges await me, in the meantime I want to say thank you. First of all to the Creator of the world for the privilege and what I received. I want to say thank you to my agent Jackie who accompanied me throughout my career. To President Yankela Shahar, Uzi Mor and Or Shahar who were there for me from the moment I arrived at the club and supported me throughout the whole period. To the entire management team headed by Itzik Ovadia.”
San Menachem Hogge (Omari Stein)
Menachem continued with his thanks: “To the coaches who passed through here over the years, to the players who shared a dressing room with me throughout my career and of course to the most amazing and good audience there is. Thank you to my family, my parents, my dear mother and especially to Sharon who is an integral part of my football journey and has accompanied me since I was 8 years old. Thank you for all the love, support and well wishes I receive from you. And a final thank you to my private and small piece of God, my beloved wife, who supported me and was with me in all moments from the saddest to the happiest and for my son who came into the world just when I needed him. And that’s it, as I started, I’m retiring from football, but not from Maccabi Haifa.”
In conclusion: “And finally, something that is more important than me, more than all of us. My difficulty is dwarfed by what we are going through here in our small and only country. We will remember all those who were murdered and were killed, and there are quite a few who sat and encouraged me and Maccabi Haifa here from the stands. I pray for the safety of all IDF soldiers, a full recovery for the wounded and that all the abductees will return home.”
San Menachem (Omari Stein)
