They say time flies when you're having fun. Well, we all must have been having a very good time because we've hardly noticed that this Saturday the 24th of August, the 2013/14 Israeli Premier League season will kick off marking the end of the summer break. During that break the league has undergone many changes: Players have come and gone, coaches have been signed and replaced, teams have been promoted and relegated. As good a time as any to get ourselves organised and make (renewed) acquaintance with Maccabi Tel Aviv's thirteen opponents as the team embark upon the defence of their 2012/13 season title.
Maccabi Haifa
Head coach – Arik Benado
Prominent players in: Ruben Rayos (midfielder, Asteras Tripoli), Elad Gabai (defender, Ironi Kiryat Shmona), Shimon Abuchatzera (striker, Ironi Kiryat Shmona), Ran Abukarat (midfielder, Hapoel Haifa)
Prominent players out: Weaam Amasha (striker), Tamir Cohen (midfielder, Hapoel Ra'anana), Liroy Tzairi (midfielder, loan deal ended), Shlomi Azulai (striker)
Summary: As they move into their new stadium, Maccabi Haifa also want to move up a place in the table (to 1st)
Hapoel Tel Aviv
Head coach – Ran Ben Shimon
Prominent players in: Itay Shechter (striker, FC Kaiserslautern), Yisrael Zaguri (midfielder, Hapoel Ramat Gan), Danny Amos (Goalkeeper, Ironi Kiryat Shmona), Jurgen Colin (defender, Anorthosis Famagusta), Branko Ilic (defender, Anorthosis Famagusta), Lucas Sasha (midfielder, CSKA Sofia), Bryan Gerzicich (midfielder, Ironi Kiryat Shmona)
Prominent players out: Walid Badir (defender, retired), Tal Ben Haim (striker, Maccabi Tel Aviv), Apoula Edel (goalkeeper, released), Almog Cohen (midfielder, loan deal ended), Toto Tamuz (striker, FC Ural Sverdlovsk Oblast), Hanan Maman (midfielder, Waasland-Beveren), Elroi Cohen (midfielder, released)
Summary: Maccabi Tel Aviv's municipal rival has made significant changes to the squad in order to fight for a top position in the league
Bnei Yehuda
Head coach – Dror Kashtan
Prominent players in: Emiliano Fusco (defender, Alki Larnaca), Yoro Lamine (midfielder, Shirak FC), Ben Vahaba (defender, Ironi Kiryat Shmona)
Prominent players out: Nenad Marinković (striker, Servette FC), Pedro Galván (midfielder, Maccabi Petah Tikva), Sari Falah (defender, loan deal ended), Shalev Menashe (midfielder, Maccabi Netanya)
Summary: Same head coach, no dramatic changes in the squad, will they finish fourth again?
Ironi Kiryat Shmona
Head coach – Barak Bachar
Prominent players in: Barak Badash (striker, returned from loan deal), Guy Haimov (goalkeeper, Maccabi Tel Aviv), Achmad Saba'a (striker, Maccabi Netanya), David Manga (striker, Hapoel Ramat Gan), Tamir Kahlon (midfielder, Hapoel Acre), Oded Elkayam (defender, Maccabi Haifa)
Prominent players out: Shimon Abuchatzera (striker, Maccabi Haifa), Elad Gabai (defender, Maccabi Haifa), Dan Einbinder (midfielder, Maccabi Tel Aviv), Danny Amos (Goalkeeper, Hapoel Tel Aviv), Bryan Gerzicich (midfielder, Hapoel Tel Aviv), Salah Hasarma (defender, retired), David Solari (striker, Ashdod FC)
Summary: the 2012/13 League Champions have overhauled their squad, interesting to see how that will affect their position in table
Ironi Ramat Hasharon
Head coach – Rafi Cohen
Prominent players in: Avi Struhl (defender, Maccabi Tel Aviv), Ori Shitrit (defender, Maccabi Netanya), Yossi Shivhon (midfielder, Maccabi Netanya), Dela Yampolsky (midfielder, Maccabi Haifa)
Prominent players out: Marko Andelkovic (midfielder, released), Savity Lipenia (defender, Maccabi Netanya), Adrian Fernandez (striker, Hapoel Hapoel Petah Tikva), Moshe Abutbul (midfielder, Ironi Kiryat Shmona)
Summary: This modest club will be dreaming about a repeat of last season's achievement of making it to the upper tier play-offs
Ashdod FC
Head coach – Nir Klinger
Prominent players in: David Solari (striker, Ironi Kiryat Shmona), Yero Bello (striker, Bnei Sakhnin), Guy Tzarfati (midfielder, Hapoel Haifa)
Prominent players out: David Revivo (midfielder, Beitar Jerusalem), Rahamim Checkol (defender, released), Dimitar Makriev (striker, released)
Summary: The major change at the club is the head coach. The question is: Can Nir Klinger achieve more than his predecessor, Yossi Mizrachi?
Hapoel Beer Sheva
Head coach – Elisha Levi
Prominent players in: Elyaniv Barda (striker, Racing Genk), Maor Buzaglo (midfielder, Standard Liege), Kobi Dajani (midfielder, Maccabi Netanya), Gal Arel (midfielder, Hapoel Haifa)
Prominent players out: Aviram Baruchyan (midfielder, released), Oded Gavish (defender, Slask Wroclaw), Ravid Gazal (midfielder, released), Klemi Saban (defender, released)
Summary: Some big names have arrived at the club. The question is: Will this help Alona Barkat's team rise in the table?
Hapoel Haifa
Head coach – Shlomi Dora
Prominent players in: Darío Fernandez (midfielder, Beitar Jerusalem), Omri Canada (defender, Astra Giurgiu), Amir Nussbaum (defender, Ironi Ramat Hasharon), Zarko Korac (winger, FK Zeta), Tadas Kijanskas (defender, Korona Kielce)
Prominent players out: Gal Arel (midfielder, Hapoel Beer Sheva), Ran Abukarat (midfielder, Maccabi Haifa), Dusan Berkovic (defender, Debrecen), Vladimir Gluscevic (striker, released), Stefan Denkovic (striker, FK Vojvodina), Tobarno Pinas (Maccabi Netanya), Guy Tzarfati (midfielder, Ashdod FC)
Summary: A number of familiar faces have left, and the red-and-black side of Haifa will be content just to remain a familiar face in the Premier League
Beitar Jerusalem
Head coach – Eli Cohen
Prominent players in: David Revivo (midfielder, Ashdod FC), Omer Atzily (midfielder, Haopel Rishon LeZion), Osa Guobadia a.k.a. "Ice Cream" (midfielder, FK Vardar), Nisso Kapiloto (defender, Alki Larnaca)
Prominent players out: Avi Reikan (midfielder, FC Zurich), Kobi Moyal (midfielder, Sheriff Tiraspol), Eran Levi (midfielder, Maccabi Netanya), Steven Cohen (midfielder, Hapoel Acre), Amit Ben Shoshan (striker, Anorthosis Famagusta)
Summary: Eli Tabib has taken over the club and the process of rebuilding will carry on through the early stages of the season
Hapoel Acre
Head Coach – Yuval Na'im
Prominent players in: Steven Cohen (midfielder, Beitar Jerusalem), Eliran Danin (defender, Hapoel Tel Aviv), Leonardo Costa (striker, RM Hamm Benfica)
Prominent players out: Ohad Kadousi (striker, Lausanne-Sport), Tamir Kahlon (midfielder, Ironi Kiryat Shmona), Dedi Ben Dayan (defender, Bnei Sakhnin), Nebojsa Marinkovic (midfielder, Hapoel Haifa)
Summary: The team Maccabi Tel Aviv will face in the opening fixture of the season will want to maintain their position in the table, which will be no mean feat
Bnei Sakhnin
Head Coach – Marco Balbul
Prominent players in: Firas Mugrabi (midfielder, Maccabi Netanya), Mohammad Ghadir (striker, Maccabi Haifa), Dedi Ben Dayan (defender, Hapoel Acre), Eric Djemba-Djemba (midfielder, Hapoel Tel Aviv), Mor Shoshan (defender, Hapoel Tel Aviv), Stephen Sunday a.k.a. Sunny (midfielder, CD Numancia), Cristian Hidalgo (winger, Cherno More)
Prominent players out: Yero Bello (striker, Ashdod FC), Imoro Lukman (midfielder, Hapoel Petah Tikva), Idan Weizman (defender, Simurq PIK), Mahmoud Abbas (midfielder, end of loan deal)
Summary: The team have made some impressive acquisitions, and if the current mix of talent will take hold they won't have to wait for the last week of the season to avoid relegation
Hapoel Ra'anana
Head Coach – Menachem Koretski
Prominent players in: Gal Nir (goalkeeper, Ironi Ramat Hasharon), Tamir Cohen (midfielder, Maccabi Haifa), Assi Baldout (midfielder, Hapoel Rishon Lezion), Ben Benyamin (midfielder, Maccabi Netanya)
Prominent players out: Ohad Cohen (goalkeeper, Hapoel Kfar Saba), Kobi Hassan (midfielder, Maccabi Netanya), Ahmed Sha'aban (defender, released)
Summary: If the name of Hapoel Ra'anana appears again in the Israeli Premier League preview for the 2014/15 season, a lot of people in Ra'anana will be smiling
Maccabi Petah Tikva
Head Coach – Moshe Sinai
Prominent players in: Pedro Galván (midfielder, Bnei Yehuda), Dia Saba (striker, Bnei Sakhnin), Emmanuel Agouda (striker, released),
Prominent players out: Idan Shriki (striker, end of loan deal), Murad Magomedov (defender, retired), Oscar Guerrero (striker, Vittoriosa Stars)
Summary: With the head of the Israeli Football Association counted among their fans, the club will want to see their stadium, "Hamoshava", bustling with life in next season's Premier League.
And what about Maccabi Tel Aviv, you're no doubt asking yourselves? Tomorrow you'll hear more about what kind of summer last season's Premier League champions have had
