Soccer: Hapoel: 'We are the greatest'

Hapoel Tel-Aviv manager Dror Kashtan called his side’s shock defeat of Italian giants AC Milan ‘‘Israeli football’s greatest achievement’’.

Moldova star Sergei Cleschenko scored in the first half to secure a shock win over the Italian giants in front of 2000 fans at Omonia Nicosia’s GSP stadium.

The Israelis gave themselves an excellent chance of adding a fourth scalp after already accounting for Chelsea, Parma and Lokomotiv Moscow in this competition.

And Kashtan admitted: ‘‘We’ve made a great achievement, but we are only in the beginning of the trip.

‘‘You saw how players that cost millions ran after us to equalize.

‘‘We were tactically very good and I’m proud of my boys. This is Israeli football’s greatest achievement.

‘‘Milan are one of the greatest clubs in Italy and Europe, a famous club world-wide.

‘‘And we, a club from Israel which hosted the game on a neutral pitch, beat them.’’

Goalscorer Clescenko added: ‘‘When I scored, I didn’t know what to do at first.

‘‘I managed to fulfil a dream.

‘‘Every player wants to score against Milan and I did it. I have it on my record. It is a great feeling.’’

Influential midfielder Yossi Abuksis set up the Moldovan for the winner.

He said: ‘‘If someone would tell me couple of month ago that we will beat Milan, I would have thought he was a mad man.

‘‘I remember when we drew Chelsea, we were thinking just how to avoid an humiliating defeat.

‘‘But look at us now!

‘‘We’re in UEFA cup quarter-finals beating Milan.

‘‘Beating them is a dream. It is the greatest achievement of my career. I thank God again for bringing me to Hapoel Tel Aviv.’’

The only downside for Hapoel was the yellow card for Igal Antebi, which excludes him from playing at the San Siro next week.