Mac. TA looks to Uruguayan for leadership

By David Marouani

Joe Bizera, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Uruguayan defender, was caught off guard at halftime during his team's State Cup loss to Beitar Shimshon Tel Aviv the other week. Aviv Raiz, a representative from the club's association who was standing nearby, told Bizera in Hebrew that he had to take charge of his teammates. Bizera was unable to understand his words, but luckily Dudu Biton came to the rescue with his limited Spanish. With the help of an Italian-speaking doctor, they translated the message. The defender nodded and replied in broken English, "I do my best."

Though the conversation didn't save the game, Raiz knew exactly why he was turning to Bizera of all people. The tall, seasoned Uruguayan stabilized the team's defense from his first appearance and is admired particularly by the defensive line. His main problem is that he still struggles with the language. Advertisement

"Though he was relatively young, he was no doubt the leader on defense," said Pablo Torres, who works in the front office for his former club Penarol Montevideo. "He was a shouter. He also spoke with the veterans during practices and after games. The moment he'll understand the language a little better you'll hear him shout." A member of management at Italian club Cagliari, which lent Bizera to Maccabi, recalled how he had a tough time last season until he knew Italian but then became very involved once he picked up the language.