The annual testimonial match in memory of the late Shachar Brickman was played today at the Maccabi Tel Aviv training grounds at Kiryat Shalom

Today Maccabi Tel Aviv Football club played their annual testimonial match in memory of the late Shachar Brickman, a devoted fan of the club. Brickman, son of Gidon Brickman, past chairman of Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Israeli Council of Sports Betting, died at the age of 38 after a serious illness. Since 2009 the Youth team, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar", has been named in his honour and today at the Kiryat Shalom training ground the traditional memorial match in his memory was played against Bnei Yehuda.

While the rest of the senior squad received a well-deserved day off two days after capturing the Israeli Premier League title, captain Sheran Yeini and defenders Yoav Ziv and Reef Peretz were in attendance at the match. In addition to these senior squad members and members of he Brickman family, also in attendance were one of Maccabi Tel Aviv's former great players and coaches, Nissim Bacahar, and former Israel Football Association chairman, Itcha Menachem. Prior to the match a ceremony was held in which Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Department Football Director Nir Levin spoke to the young players about Shachar Brickman.

The game itself was played in two one half hour periods. In the first half the youngsters of Bnei Yehuda jumped to a two goal advantage courtesy of goals by Chen Mizrachi and Maor Kendeel. All attempts by Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" to equalise in the second half were to no avail handing Bnei Yehuda their very first victory in the "Shachar Brikman" Cup.

At the conclusion of the match a ceremony was held in which members of the Brickman family received testimonial shields from Maccabi Tel Aviv Football club and afterwards participated in handing out medallions to the players of both clubs and the Cup to the winning side.