Ofri Arad, Israeli midfielder and the San Siro match: “What an odyssey these trips are, a ten-hour flight to Milan. I had a trial with Vardy’s Leicester”
The buccaneers from the east of the world targeted San Siro at constant speed: “The others have champions and money, we have the heart. We arrive in the city to try to write history”. Ofri Arad, 27 years old, Israeli midfielder, is one of the “sailors” of Kairat Almaty, ready to challenge Inter after ten hours of travel. He will circumnavigate the Champions League with more than 45 thousand kilometers of travel. To cross the globe you need 40 thousand. First Lisbon, now Milan, then Copenhagen and London.
What is it like to face similar trips?
“At first it was a shock. From Milan it takes less time to go to New York, but the club is organised: we arrived with a private jet where all the staff are. They thought of everything. The problem, beyond the stress, are the unexpected events.”
“At the end of August, for the last round of the preliminaries, we faced Celtic in Scotland. All after trips to Slovenia, Finland and Slovakia. The first leg took us 11 hours due to a fuel problem: we stopped halfway to refuel. We arrived tired the day before, rested the night and then played with jet lag… but despite this we drew 0-0. In the second leg we won on penalties, qualifying for the final phase.”
How did it go in Lisbon?
“Another odyssey: 12 hours with a stopover. We brought forward our departure by a day. It was crazy, we were tired. Despite the jet lag we held our own against Sporting for an hour, then we conceded three goals in ten minutes. Facing such a journey is tiring, as well as stressful, but we are proud to be able to represent Kazakhstan.”
You grew up in Haifa, by the sea, in Israel. What did you think when Kairat called you?
“At the beginning I didn’t even know where Almaty was. It wasn’t easy: my wife was seven months pregnant and she only joined me later. Furthermore, I had never seen snow. I remember the first conversation with the managers, it was 2024. They said that the objective was to reach the Champions League within five years. We only took two: we are the most beautiful fairy tale.”
What’s your secret?
“Being ‘hungry’. Nobody is like us: neither Pafos, which has a rich ownership, nor Bodo, now a reality. Kairat is a group of boys with big hearts and a varied squad. We are two Israelis, four Brazilians, two Belarusians, two Portuguese. We have won two championships in a row, the last one ten days ago. We are all united.”
There is a lot of talk about Satpaev, 17 years old, a playmaker already purchased by Chelsea. Is he really predestined?
“I’ve never seen someone like that at that age. He’s fast, he has technique, he scores and he spends hours and hours in the gym. When he takes off his shirt he makes us look bad. They call him the ‘Kazakh Messi’, but he reminds me of Cristiano Ronaldo. He’ll lead the way.”
What is his story, however?
“I am the youngest of seven brothers. As a child I could have gone to America to study with my brother, who accepted a scholarship at more or less my age. Today he has become a sports doctor. I have always played football, I grew up in Maccabi Haifa, but in 2013, at 15 years old, I had a trial in Vardy’s Leicester”.
“I was unlucky. At the end of the two-week trial I was supposed to play a tournament, but it was canceled due to bad weather. I went the following year, but it was canceled again due to rain. I had lunch with the first team and went to the gym where Schmeichel, Vardy and the others trained. Wes Morgan, a mountain, used the bench after me. He put on 50 kilos more.”
What did you think when Inter came out in the draw?
“To my best friend. He lives in Rome and studies medicine. We haven’t seen each other in a while. We crossed our fingers that an Italian would date: when I heard ‘Inter’ I made him a video call.”
Who will he exchange the shirt with?
“When we played against Real Madrid I took those of Huijsen and Tchouaméni. First, however, I have to think about stopping the Nerazzurri. There is the risk of not understanding anything: Mkhitaryan, Calhanoglu, Barella. He is my favourite. Few people in Europe have a midfield like that, but we are not afraid of anyone.”
Last year Mkhitaryan said Inter were “unplayable”.
“Well, how can you blame him. Take Bastoni: it’s not clear whether he’s a defender or a winger. He’s everywhere, like Barella or Calhanoglu. And then San Siro is… wow. What can I say? Let’s hope the jet lag gives us a break.”
What if you had to beat the Nerazzurri?
“I would go back to Almaty… on foot. No, I’m joking: maybe by bus.”
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