. . World news – GB – Israeli Manor Solomon shot down Real Madrid. Now Scotland is in his sight

Manor Solomon has done a lot in 21 years: he refused Manchester City, served in the Israeli army, defeated Real Madrid and played nearly 150 games as a professional. He has yet to beat Scotland in three attempts but he will get another chance in Netanya on Wednesday night.

Winger Shakhtar Donetsk specializes in the Champions League after scoring three times in six matches in the championship last season and the decisive goal in an unexpected victory over Real Madrid last month.. . The Israeli is the great hope for his country, after he joined the first team in Maccabi Petah Tikva at the age of 17. Four years later, he shines in Europe, embodied in his match-winning showing in Madrid.

Solomon now has a Scotland in his eyes, as he is looking forward to emulating his club’s achievements with his country.. He aims to take inspiration from that night in the Spanish capital to show what Israel can achieve in the League of Nations.

“It was unbelievable, it was really great for us as a team to win in Madrid, against one of the best teams in the world,” Solomon said. “Real Madrid have won so many titles and have a great history, so we felt it was really special for us. I guess nobody thought we’d win . . . It was perhaps one of the biggest victories in Shakhtar’s history and for me it was also great to score in the Champions League against Real Madrid, which is perhaps the biggest club in the world..

The late VAR decision ruled out the possibility of a tie goal for the hosts, to the satisfaction of Suleiman and his colleagues. In many ways, it was the perfect end to a historic evening for the Ukrainian side, even if the match was held at Madrid’s second-team stadium because the Bernabeu is under renewal.. .

“As a kid I always dreamed of playing in the Champions League – it is the dream of every child and every footballer who wants to play in the biggest stages and maybe the Champions League is the biggest. It is a great opportunity to show your qualities; Every goal, every movement and every help is very important.

Manchester City should not be surprised by Suleiman’s abilities when he came off the bench to equalize in front of them last November, given that they tried to sign him three years ago.. Suleiman spoke to the club but did not want to impede his development by not playing regular football for the first team, so a man could not make a deal compared to Eden Hazard.. “They really wanted me and I met with them but unfortunately it didn’t work out. I played against them with Shakhtar and it was a really good point for us but in the end it didn’t help us qualify. It was also great to play against Manchester City and Pep Guardiola and score.

Suleiman ended up leaving Maccabi Petah Tikva to join Shakhtar, where he won two league titles. The club is famous for importing Brazilians and selling them to bigger European teams: Douglas Costa, Willian and Farid are among the many who made Shakhtar their first stop outside South America.. The club has 11 Brazilians, as well as a Portuguese coaching staff, which means that learning the language of his teammates was more productive than the locals.. .

“Brazilians have their own style; they like dribbling and charm, and I think Shakhtar bought it because I have those skills and quality too.. . I really enjoy playing with them but at first it was a bit difficult as I needed to adapt. But I like to play with them in the offensive part and I love their game. I was starting to be a part of it and it really helped me. I learned a lot here at Shakhtar from the great players.

I enjoy life in Shakhtar, I am only 21 years old but one day I will join one of the best leagues in the world

“Clubs in Europe do not view the Israeli league as a strong league, so they do not buy players from the Israeli league with such big money.. The owners in Israel ask for a lot of money. Lee wanted 5 million euros and then he heard Manchester City want 10 million euros. After he was ready to sell me to Shakhtar Donetsk and I wanted to go. I looked at the history of the club, I saw everything, the players who produced there. I thought it was a great opportunity for me to play in the Champions League, to continue my young career at this club. I enjoy life in Shakhtar, I am only 21 years old but one day – sooner or later – I will join one of the best leagues in the world..

Suleiman was part of the Israel national team that lost to Scotland on penalties in last month’s European Championship qualifiers.. They have a chance to reclaim themselves in the Nations League, although that will not compensate for the disappointment that Israel will have to wait to qualify for its first major tournament since 1970..

Solomon says the team is « really destructive, » but adds: « We have to overcome this and look forward. ». We have great young players and we have a good generation now and we can do that in the future.

Israeli teenagers have to complete mandatory national service, complicating matters for aspiring footballers and potentially impeding their progress.

« This is one of the main problems in Israel for athletes and football players in particular. It’s not easy because when you turn 18, after finishing high school, you need to start serving in the military. It needs to service for two years and eight months, which is not easy.

Solomon was given light assignments because he was assigned to a different kind of national service and the most exciting Israeli players in a generation will look to prove their worth, starting with the rebound against Scotland.

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Shakhtar Donetsk, Manchester City F.. C. Pep Guardiola, the Scottish national football team, the English Premier League, the Israeli national football team, the European Champions League