Maccabi Tel Aviv returned from the enforced three-month coronavirus break on Saturday at Bloomfield and secured a 2-0 win over Hapoel Haifa in the first round of the third, playoff phase of the TASE Premier League and striker Itay Shechter looked particularly sharp on the night as he scored the second goal.
But before thinking of the football, Shechter spoke of teammate Eitan Tibi, who has recently lost his father.
“I want to convey the entire team’s condolences to the Tibi family. Eitan, we love you and this win is dedicated to you,” Shechter said.
He added that the players had greatly the action and were so happy to be back.
“We have been longing for this moment, we love our game and it’s clear that things will be different when we have a crowd that can share our joy in victory. We knew this would be tough, but we have to get on with things.” 
Shechter said it was difficult to make the transition from quarantine to playing once again but he credited the team setup for facilitating the move.
“Maccabi are a super professional team that had the means to devise training for the players during the lockdown. We were ready even before the restart, and although we are not where we want to be at this time, for a first game, we looked good.”
He also said that the strict rules the players must follow would be adhered to and that although it is very hard to go straight back home after the win, they would do so without batting an eyelid.
