Category: First Team
Watch: Karanka’s first 24 hours at Maccabi
Maccabi’s fifth symphony. Watch
Goldhar: “We all agreed that Aitor is a perfect fit for Maccabi”
Maccabi’s Head of Football Department, Barak Itzhaki, spoke of his impression from Karanka: “We had good talks which began right from the first conversation we had – a very direct and honest chat before diving in to training plans football philosophy and everything to do with the professional side of the game. We had good talks and got the impression that we are dealing with a very organised and methodic coach with a lot of passion. Karanka was a top player who worked at ambitious clubs, and I think he is a perfect match for the profile of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s coach.”
On the departure of Vladinir Ivic, Itzhaki revealed: “We were taken by surprise as he walked in to the office after one of the training sessions and dropped that bombshell. I was obviously disappointed because we had other plans, but at the end of the day you can’t go into someone’s head at such a particular moment and fully understand the reason behind his decision. He has wife, kids and he chose this way. I honestly wish him the best from the bottom of my heart”.
Watch: Karanka unveiled as Maccabi’s coach
State Cup: Maccabi to face Maccabi Petah Tikva in Quarter Finals
Maccabi Tel Aviv face second division outfit Maccabi Petah Tikva for a double headed tie in the State Cup Quarter Finals following the draw which took place at the Israel Football Association Headquarters on Thursday.
After advancing past Bnei Sakhnin with a convincing 5-0 victory on Tuesday, Maccabi will now face promotion hopefuls Maccabi Petah Tikva who are currently ranked 3rd in the second division.
The Quarter Final will be played as a two legged tie with Maccabi hosting the first leg at Bloomfield between January 31st to February 2nd. The decisive return leg will be staged in Petah Tikva between February 28th to March 3rd.
State Cup Quarter Final draw:
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Maccabi Petah Tikva (2nd)
Hapoel Afula (2nd) or Hapoel Kfar Sava (2nd) vs Beitar Jerusalem
Hapoel Petah Tikva (2nd) vs Ashdod SC
Maccabi Netanya vs Maccabi Haifa
Revivo joins Hapoel Jerusalem on loan
Roy Revivo joined Hapoel Jerusalem until the end of the 2022/23 season after an agreement was reached between the two clubs for the loan deal of the 19-year old left back.
Aitor Karanka appointed as Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Head Coach
The 49-year-old Basque coach signed a 1.5-year-deal at Maccabi running until June 2024 and his first match in charge will be Saturday’s league match at Bloomfield stadium against Ashdod. Karanka will be joined by Igor Alexandre Gameiro Dias as an Assistant coach, Juan Torrijo as the Fitness Coach and Carlos Luengo Pena as an Analyst with the Goalkeeper coach joining in due course.
Maccabi’s owner Mitch Goldhar told the club’s official website: “I am delighted to welcome Aitor Karanka to the Club. He comes with the experience, both as a player and a Coach, as well as the necessary hunger to achieve results. We are excited to begin our work together”.
Karanka said after his appointment: “I am excited and proud to be here and to be part of a club with so such much history and tradition as Maccabi Tel Aviv. I am grateful to Mitch for entrusting me and my team. I understood from the first conversation how ambitious the Club is and the standard that is expected. I will give everything to help develop the team, keep Maccabi Tel Aviv moving forward and make the supporters proud. We have already began our work and will be focused from the first moment to fulfil the Club’s ambition.”
Karanka, a former defender at Ahtletic Bilbao (1993-1997 and 2002-2006), Real Madrid (1997-2002) and MLS outfit Colorado Rapids (2006) also represented Spain’s national teams at U21, U23 and senior levels.
Following his retirement as a player he was appointed in 2008 as Spain U16 coach and two years later he joined Real Madrid and worked for three years as Jose Mourinho’s assistant.
In November 2013 Karanka was appointed as manager of Championship outfit Middlesbrough before guiding the Riverside Club to the promotion Playoff Final. After four years at Middleborough during which he helped M’boro win promotion to the Premier League (2015/16), Karanka had spells at Nottingham Forrest (2018/19), Birmingham City (2020/21), and La Liga side Granada (2022).
Zahavi: “I am delighted with the way we looked today”
“Sakhnin are a very good, tough and stubborn side. We scored the first and second goals which in my opinion was the difference from Saturday’s draw at Kiryat Shmona. We put away our chances and I am delighted with the way we looked today and I hope to continue and improve. We qualified to the next stage which is the most important thing”.
On the departure of coach Vladimir Ivic, Zahavi said: “We heard about it but it wasn’t official yet we as players are not naive and try not to relate to it too much. what I would like to say is that the players and coach deserve a good word. He was a professional until the final second, demanded from the players and himself in every training session and every match. These things can happen in football, as coaches come and go while our work needs to be done on the pitch time after time. We represent a massive club with a very big fan base”.
