BE'ER SHEVA – As Stefano Pioli prepares for his first away match with Inter in Israel, we look back 19 years to when the first Israeli player in history made his Serie A debut - against Inter at San Siro.
Nerazzurri fans had big expectations on the opening day of the 1997/98 season as they were about to see new signing Ronaldo in the flesh, the Brazilian of course going on to more than live up to expectations.
Brescia were the opponents for that first match of the campaign on 31 August 1997 and lining up for the visitors was Israeli midfielder Tal Banin, snapped up from Hapoel Haifa that summer.
After three years at Brescia, Tal returned to his homeland to see out his career, hanging up his boots with over 80 caps for one of the best-loved Israel teams of all time.
We caught up with him ahead of Inter's trip to Be'er Sheva to hear his story.
"It was such a special feeling to play in Italy – and it started at San Siro! I still get goosebumps now thinking back to that day. It was a feeling you just can't put into words because it would be downplaying it,” he explains, still speaking in an almost perfect Italian.
“We couldn't see Serie A on TV when I was a kid but a friend of mine used to get video tapes of the matches. I couldn't wait to to get them and after watching them my thoughts would start to wander and I'd picture myself playing in Italy.
“Then a few years later there I was, at San Siro! A stadium so beautiful it was breathtaking. And I was going to be playing in it myself after all those videos. I was right there. And Inter were the opponents.”
What do you remember about the day?
"I'll never forget it. Before the match, I had a good look at the stadium from the inside and convinced myself I really was about to play on that pitch. I felt the emotion for a while but only until the first tackle with Diego Simeone, then I was totally immersed in the game. He said a few words, I said a few back and the gauntlet was thrown down. We took the lead through Dario Hubner but then Alvaro Recoba – another one making his debut that day – turned things around with two sensational goals. We were angry to lose but proud of the way we played.”
Ronaldo didn't score though.
"No, he didn't, but he was still an impressive sight to behold. He looks magical watching him from afar but seeing him on the pitch you almost felt privileged. He had power, pace, technique... I've never seen a player quite like him. Besides the full house at San Siro, him being involved was another reason why my debut felt so special. I still have the shirt I wore that day at my mum's house. It's never been washed, barely touched. I don't want it to lose the smell of the San Siro turf from that day.”
Are you still in touch with any of your team-mates from back then?
"I'm on good terms with everyone but there are two people from that day I'm particularly close to: Lele Adani and Dario Hubner. We still speak. Lele is a special person in more than just a footballing sense. Even when we were still playing I realised he was a cut above everyone else in his reading of the game. He's a very profound person: he's not one for superficiality and he always tries to understand things. He's really special. Dario is unique. I roomed with him and he always used to talk about Inter because he was a big fan. He fulfilled a dream by scoring in that stadium – on his debut too.”
Inter face Hapoel Be'er-Sheva in Israel now. What should they be worried about?
"I think they'll be much more focused with the new coach and that's important in a stadium with 15,000 people who really make themselves heard. It's not an easy place to go and they'll be playing against a well-organised side with some good individuals, but if Inter get their mentality right for the whole game I think they can come away with three points. It would certainly make my mate Hubner happy...”
Carlo Pizzigoni
