Asked to explain the reasons for the great strides
undertaken in Israeli football in the past decade,
Levin stated:
"It is down to team effort, team motivation and team
spirit. Barry Ferguson has good technique, but under
Walter Smith he has high motivation under a new
coach."
The new Hapoel Coach also underlined just what victory
would mean to his side:
"Victory would be the greatest achievement of the
competition. Group qualification in itself was an
achievement."
Earlier Walter Smith was cautious as he previewed the
game:
"I expect a difficult game at this stage of the
competition. Israeli football has made huge strides in
recent years. We have only fourteen fit players from
the first-team squad, but we know what to expect away
from home. There will be a great atmosphere in the
ground. We have been consistent in Europe this season
- I will pick the team to win the game."