Maccabi will once again face thirteen rivals in the top flight during the 2014/15 season. Here is the official MTA website season preview
Starting on Sunday night, reigning champions Maccabi Tel Aviv will take to the pitch for their first season 2014/15 league encounter and officially put to rest an extended summer break that included a war, three summer signings, a change in coaching staff and a foreshortened European campaign with "home" games played in Cyprus. Good a time as any to have a closer look* at the thirteen rivals Maccabi will be facing in this season's league campaign, courtesy of the official MTA website staff.
Hapoel Beer Sheva
Players in: Shlomi Arbeitman (from Belgian side Mons), prolific former Maccabi Haifa goalscorer; Maor Meliksen (from French side Valenciennes), returning Israeli international; Ro'i Gordna (from Hapoel Tel Aviv); Dor Malul (from Beitar Jerusalem), formerly with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Belgian side Beerschot; Daniel Askling (from Hapoel Kfar Saba)
Players out: David Huber, Glynor Plet, David Hover, Lotem Zino
Head coach: Elisha Levy
Stadium: Wassermill
In a word: Last season's runners-up have made some impressive acquisitions and will have their sights set on the title.
Ironi Kiryat Shmona
Players in: Touvarno Pinas (from Maccabi Netanya), Surinamese defender; Liron Elimelech (from Ironi Tiberias)
Players out: Matan Ohayon, Weaam Amasha
Head coach: Barak Bakhar
Stadium: Kiryat Shmona
In a word: Stability is the key word as last season's State Cup winners look forward to another successful season.
Maccabi Haifa
Players in: Yossi Benayoun (from English side QPR), Israeli international captain and former Maccabi Haifa star, with spells in between at West Ham, Chelsea and Arsenal; Kobi Moyal (from Sheriff Tiraspol), former Beitar Jerusalem midfielder; Matan Ohayon (from Ironi Kiryat Shmona), formerly with French side Charleroi and Ashdod FC; Vladimir Stojkovic (from Greek side Ergotelis), Serbian goalkeeper with a long European pedigree; Weaam Amasha (returning from loan at Ironi Kiryat Shmona); Mohammed Kalibat (returning from loan at Bnei Sakhnin); Orel Dgani (returning from loan at Hapoel Tel Aviv); Miguel Marcos "Michel" Madera (from La Liga side Getafe), Spanish midfielder who had spells at Spain's Sporting Gijon and England's Birmingham City
Players out: Yaniv Katan (retired), Andrey Pilavski , Shoval Gozlan, Ayal Golsa, Sari Fallah, Tamash Prishkin
Head coach: Aleksandar Stanojevic
Stadium: Sammy Ofer
In a word: New stadium, new coaching staff, new team captain – but will it bring back old glory?
Bnei Sakhnin
Players in: Itzik Cohen (from Maccabi Haifa); Ran Kadosh (from Beitar Kfar Saba); Ismaeel Ryan (on loan from Maccabi Haifa); Yiannis Papadopoulos (from Polish side Cracovia), former Olympiacos midfielder
Players out: Dedi Ben Dayan, Ravid Gazal, Mor Shoshan, Mohammed Kalibat
Head coach: Guy Levy
Stadium: Doha
In a word: The biggest change at the club will be on the touch-line. It will be interesting to see what the influence will be of veteran Israeli Premier League coach Guy Levy, returning to the top flight after a season in the second division with Hapoel Ramat Gan.
Hapoel Tel Aviv
Players in: Sari Falah (from Maccabi Haifa); Shoval Gozlan (on loan from Maccabi Haifa); Shlomi Azulay (on loan from Maccabi Haifa); Harmony Ikande (from Ukrainian side Hoverla Uzhhorod), Nigerian midfielder returning to Israel after a season abroad; Francis Benjamin (from Nigerian club Heartland); Tom Almadon (from Bnei Yehuda)
Players out: Omer Damari, Branko Illich, Ro'i Gordna, Orel Dgani, Igal Antebbi (retired), Brian Grazich, Basarat Abdurahimi, Ze'ev Haimovich, Salim Touama, Shimon Harush, Boris Klaiman
Head coach: Assi Domev
Stadium: Bloomfield
In a word: Complete turnaround at Maccabi's archrivals in the red half of the city, in what direction is still unclear.
Hapoel Haifa
Players in: Steven Cohen (from Hapoel Acre); Omer Vered (from Bnei Yehuda), former Maccabi Tel Aviv defender; Gal Cohen (from Bnei Yehuda)
Players out: Yuval Avidor, Zarko Korach, David Revivo, Kale Dreshler, Omri Kende
Head coach: Reuven Atar
Stadium: Sammy Ofer
In a word: Only in the course of the season will we know what the influence will be on the red half of Haifa of a large, and largely empty, stadium.
Ashdod FC
Players in: Murad Abu Anza (from Hapoel Bnei Lod); Rahamim Checkol (from Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan), former Maccabi Tel Aviv defender
Players out: Shai Mimon, Guy Tsarfati, Amiran Shkalim
Head coach: Nir Klinger
Stadium: Ha "Yud Alef" Ashdod
In a word: Ashdod finished eighth last season and come May it's not certain we'll see any drastic changes.
Beitar Jerusalem
Players in: Lidor Cohen (from Maccabi Petach Tikva); Hanan Maman (from Belgian side Waasland-Beveren), former Hapoel Haifa midfielder; Zarko Korach (from Montenegrin side Zeta); Boris Klaiman (from Hapoel Tel Aviv); Ze'ev Haimovich (from Hapoel Tel Aviv)
Players out: Ariel Harush, Brian Jones, Aviram Baruchiyan, Pablo Brandan, Jonathan Villa, Dor Malul, Sintayehu Sallallich, Moshiko Lugassi
Head coach: Menachem Koretski
Stadium: "Teddy"
In a word: The squad have undergone radical changes but Beitar have started the season well so perhaps we'll see full houses at "Teddy" for home games this season.
Hapoel Acre
Players in: Yuval Avidor (from Hapoel Haifa), once on loan at Maccabi Tel Aviv; Yossi Dora (from Hapoel Haifa); Emir Hadzic (from Ironi Ramat Hasharon), Bosnian striker in his second season in Israel; Ben Turjeman (from Hapoel Beer Sheva)
Players out: Guy Dayan, Steven Cohen, Eliran Danin, Klemi Saban, Ismaeel Ryan
Head coach: Alon Harazi
Stadium: Acre
In a word: This northern club aspire to a higher finish than their tenth position last season.
Hapoel Ra'anana
Players in: Eran Rozenbaum (from Maccabi Haifa); Evans Kangwa (on loan from Zambian side Nkana); Gil Blumstein (from Hapoel Bnei Lod); Daniel Lifshitz (from Maccabi Herzliya); Pedro Petrazzi (from Greek side Levadiakos); Yakir Shina (from Beitar Tel Aviv Ramle); Dela Yampolsky (from Hapoel Haifa)
Players out: Gal Nir, Tamir Cohen, Guy Solomon, Francis Kasonda, Assi Baldut, Reef Mesika
Head coach: Haim Silvas
Stadium: Netanya
In a word: A good 2013/14 season sent former head coach Menachem Koretski up the ladder to Beitar Jerusalem, but how his replacement will fare remains to be seen.
Maccabi Petach Tikva
Players in: Hasan Abu Zaid (from Maccabi Tel Aviv); Ittimar Nitzan (from Ironi Ramat Hasharon); Dedi Ben Dayan (from Bnei Sakhnin); Nicolas Falczuk (from Hapoel Beer Sheva); Daniel Dimov (from Bulgarian side Levski Sofia); Ben Ben Yair (from Maccabi Tel Aviv); Bryan Gerzicich (from Hapoel Tel Aviv); Kostadin Hazurov (from Belgian side Lierse)
Players out: Lidor Cohen, Dia Saba, Pedro Galaban, Victor Maree, Nitzan Damari, Tamala Zito, Elro'i Cohen
Head coach: Ran Ben Shimon
Stadium: "Hamoshava"
In a word: After hiring a coach with the domestic and European pedigree of Ran Ben Shimon, a relegation battle like last season just won't do.
Maccabi Netanya
Players in: Ariel Harush (from Beitar Jerusalem); Dia Saba (from Maccabi Petach Tikva); Shimon Harush (from Hapoel Tel Aviv); Cristian Sarghi (from Romanian side Otelul Galati); Amit Ben Shoshan (from Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta); Omri Kende (from Hapoel Haifa)
Players out: Ohad Levita, Lior Jan, Shelo Menashe, Ido Exbard, Touvarno Pinas
Head coach: Yossi Mizrachi
Stadium: Netanya
In a word: After one season in the second division, it's good to have you back!
Hapoel Petach Tikva
Players in: Omri Altman (on loan from Maccabi Tel Aviv); Reef Peretz (on loan from Maccabi Tel Aviv); Shachar Hirsch (on loan from Maccabi Haifa); Kobi Musa (from Ironi Ramat Hasharon), one time Maccabi defender; Guy Dayan (from Hapoel Acre); Amiran Shkalim (from Ashdod FC); Kale Dreshler (from Hapoel Haifa), veteran and one time Maccabi goalkeeper; Dor Hugi (on loan from Maccabi Haifa); Dor Kochav (on loan from Maccabi Haifa); Mirko Oremus (from Croatian side Hajduk Split)
Players out: Imoro Lukman, David Gomez, Or Fishbein, Shay Revivo
Head coach: Idan Bar On
Stadium: "Hamoshava"
In a word: With a 32 year-old head coach and talented but inexperienced players, this second promotion side will be out to prove that the world belongs to the young at heart.
*as of September 7th 2014
