Maccabi “Shachar Tel Aviv, the Israel Youth Premier League Champions headed to Russia to play Anzhi Makhachkala in the Youth Champions League. Tomorrow, Wednesday, the match will begin at 17:30 Israel time will be the first leg of a two legged knockout round tie in UEFA Champions League Domestic Champions Path knockout stage action. Today the squad held their final training session ahead of the contest. Should the young Yellow & Blue advance two stages they will appear in the Playoff Stage where the Domestic Champions Path and Group Stage Path will meet.
Head Coach Guy Tzarfati spoke about the upcoming tie:
“I am very excited and proud. To be able to play in a European competition like the Champions League is an amazing accomplishment and achievement.”
Preparations for the competition:
“We prepared as we usually do ahead of this match. We look at the team that we are facing and give the players the correct tools as we do before any match.”
Expectations for the match:
“We want to go as far as possible in the competition and therefore are preparing for each match one by one just as we are doing for the contest in Russia. I’m happy that the players will have this type of experience and I hope that it will be a positive one.”
Domestic Champions path guide
This path involves the domestic youth champions of the 32 best-ranked associations in the 2017 UEFA association coefficient rankings (the same rankings used to decide access to the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League).
Vacancies in the domestic champions path (because a club is instead eligible for the UEFA Champions League path, for example Atlético and Inter) are filled by the domestic youth champion of the next best-ranked association (in the above cases, Moldova and Iceland).
Chelsea, who won this competition in 2014/15 and 2015/16 but lost last season’s final to Barcelona, enter this path.
Two-time semi-finalists Anderlecht keep up their record of entering all six editions.
Debuts: AEL Limassol, Anji, Bohemians, FC Admira, Hamilton Academical, Hertha Berlin, Illés Akadémia, Lech Poznań, KR, Montpellier, Septemvri Sofia, Signa Olomouc, Žilina.
Road to Nyon
Play-offs
In the draw on 17 December, the eight Domestic Champions path survivors will be drawn at home to the eight UEFA Champions League path runners-up in one-off ties to be played on 12/13 February to decide the eight remaining round of 16 berths. The other eight places are taken by the UEFA Champions League path group winners.
Dates
Play-off draw: 17 December
Play-offs: 19/20 February
Knockout draw (round of 16 onwards): 22 February
Round of 16: 12/13 February
Quarter-finals: 2/3 April
Semi-final: 26 April, Nyon
Final: 29 April, Nyon
