Goalkeeper Daniel Peretz is injured and will miss the Olympic tournament: “I trust the team”

Goalkeeper Daniel Peretz, captain of the Olympic team, will not be able to take part in the Olympic Games in Paris. This was announced at noon (Thursday) by the Football Association. Peretz suffers from a partial tear in the quadriceps muscle and after a diagnosis by the medical team at his Bayern Munich team, it was decided to release him from the national team for the Olympics in Paris.

Peretz was one of the three age exceptions in Luzon’s squad for Paris, and now only two remain: Maccabi Haifa defender Sean Goldberg (29) and Ghent midfielder Omri Gandelman (24). Niv Eliassi will be the first goalkeeper, Omar Niraon the second. Goalkeeper Roy Sassoon has been called up to the extended stand-by squad.

Guy Luzon: “I’m sorry for Daniel for missing the Olympic Games, I hope he recovers quickly and I’m sure he’ll have great moments in the blue and white uniform.” Daniel is our captain and the beating heart of this team, he is an excellent athlete, a goalkeeper and a person above all else. We will all have to improve and move forward, I have full confidence in the players of the squad, certainly in the goalkeepers, and I am sure that right now each of them will improve even more. Daniel Peretz was and will always be a part of this team and is a significant factor in our reaching the Olympic Games.’

The Olympic soccer team in a training match (Photo: The Football Association)

Daniel Peretz: “It’s not easy to be so close to realizing your dream and then hear that you won’t be able to experience it.” At least not this time. The time of the injury and the required recovery time left no room for doubt even though I believed that things would work out miraculously. I trust my friends for the long journey on the way to the Olympics and the professional team to do everything to get as far as possible. I will be their biggest fan.’

The Israeli national team will open its appearance in the Olympic football tournament on Wednesday (22:00) at Parc de France against Mali and then meet Paraguay (July 27) and Japan (July 30).