Category: News

The championship numbers: An amazing start and Yeini’s record

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Maccabi completed their task on Saturday as they won the league title. Shortly after the everything was decided, the time has come to dive into the stats behind the amazing achievement of Robbie Keane and his charges.

This is the 25th championship in Maccabi’s history – the record holder of Israeli football. This is also the 20th championship since the state of Israel was established and the 7th under the format of the current Ligat Ha’al (1999/00).

Maccabi secured the championship two matches before the end of the season. Seven times in the club’s history, the championship was won earlier.

Robbie Keane guided Maccabi to 79 points with a goal tally of 70-25 and a 77.4% success rate – more than any of the three recent league titles.

A historic start to the season

Maccabi started the season with 12 victories and a draw – to equal the best start in the history of Israeli football together with Hapoel Petah Tikva (1954/55), Maccabi Tel Aviv (1993/94) and Maccabi Haifa (2005/06).

Robbie Keane holds the record as the best start for a coach in his debut season.

Between September 2023 and January 2024 Maccabi recorded 10 league victories in succession (for the first time since March 2021). Only 7 clubs in Israel’s recorded longer runs: Maccabi Tel Aviv (4), Maccabi Haifa (2), Hapoel Petah Tikva (1). Maccabi holds the record with 20 successive league victories in 1951.

Between November 2023 to January 2024, Maccabi won 12 successive matches in all competitions for the first time since the new Millenium.

In December 2023 Maccabi played 7 league matches winning all 7 by a single goal margin. The longest stretch by a single goal in the league’s history.

Yeini’s record:

This is Sheran Yeini’s 6th league title at Maccabi which makes him the player who won the most championships in the clubs’ history. The 37-year-old captain has made 555 appearances for Maccabi in all competitions and is ranked second in the all-time appearance chart.   

Only five players in Israeli football won more championships: Arik Benado and Alon Harazi (9 championships each), Eitan Tibi, Yaniv Katan and Nir Davidovic (7 championships each).

Eran Zahavi is Maccabi’s leading scorer with 17 league goals . Zahavi reached 162 league goals (7th in the all time goal scorers chart) and 36 in all competitions.

Zahavi is also the Israeli who scored the largest number of goals with 420 career goals.

Maccabi’s derby dominance

Maccabi’s local dominance in the Tel Aviv derby continued in the 2023/24 campaign. Maccabi’s unbeaten record against Hapoel Tel Aviv continued for the 10th year in succession – since April 26th 2014.

Maccabi set a new record this season by stretching their unbeaten run-in derbies to 22 matches – a club record against any opponent.

For our arch city rivals this is their record winless run against any opponent in – with their 13 match long winless run against Beitar Tel Aviv set in 1974.

Of the last 22 derbies, Maccabi won 15 matches and drawn 7 with a staggering goal record of 50-8.

In the two derbies played this season, Maccabi scored nine goals and conceded two. The number of goals scored and conceded created a margin which is amongst the highest in the history for two matches in one season.

 

Maccabi crowned Champions

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Preview:

Maccabi returned to Bloomfield stadium having played the last three matches on the road to host the ONE ZERO League MD34 match against Hapoel Be’ersheva. On the back of last week’s 1-0 victory away to Maccabi Haifa that opened an eight-point-lead at the top of the table with three matches still left to play, Robbie Keane’s charges know that a victory would officially secure the Championship.

Keane, whose first domestic match in charge of Maccabi was a 6-1 Toto Cup victory against Be’ersheva back in July before winning the Toto Cup in January – could come full circle by winning his second title in he debut season as Maccabi’s Head Coach.
Keane will be forced to be without suspended duo Roy Revivo and Dor Peretz but at the same time welcomes back Felicio Milson who served his one match touchline ban against Haifa at Sammy Ofer.

In the absence of Revivo, Idan Nachmais slotted into the right-back role with Enric Saborit, Raz Shlomo and Ofir Davidzada completing Maccabi’s back four in front of goalkeeper Roi Mishpati.

In midfield, Eden Karzev ket his place as the anchorman right behind Gabi Kanichowsky and Dan Biton. Milson and Osher Davida were back in the side supplying the width and pace on both wings. Eran Zahavi, on the other hand was named amongst the substitutes after recovering from the dislocated collar bone injury he suffered against Haifa as Keane opted to let Dor Turgeman lead the line. Zahavi will be hoping to make an impact coming off the bench if called upon and add to his staggering number of 36 goals scored in all competitions. Alongside Zahavi, Keane also named Daniel Tenenbaum, Avishay Cohen, Yonatan Cohen, Joris van Overeem, Eyal Golasa, Derrick Luckassen, Matan Baltaxa and Ido Shahar.

Prior to kickoff, Maccabi honoured two of its former players as the owner Mitch Goldhar presented Be’ersheva’s Eytan Tibi and Eylon Almog framed shirts for their services for the club. A minute of applauds was also in memory of former goalkeeper Haim Levin who passed away last month at the age of 87.

First Half

With a loud support of an almost full Bloomfield stadium, Maccabi couldn’t have asked for a better start as the visitors were reduced to 10 men 15 seconds after the kickoff as Miguel Vitor tripped Dan Biton on the edge of the box and was shown the red card by referee Gal Leibovic. Biton tried drilling the free kick low, but the ball was blocked by Beersheva’s wall.

Biton could have opened the score several minutes but he blasted his shot high over the crossbar. Biton continued to look lively as in the 25th minute a Helder Lopez foul on him awarded Maccabi a free kick. Biton whipped in resulting free kick before Dor Turgeman flicked it with his head before the ball beat Niv Eliasi to bounce in off the far post. Bloomfield erupted as Maccabi took a precious 1-0 lead.

Felicio Milson came close to double the score on the half hour mark as he cut inside past a defender and rifled a shot which Eliasi managed to claw out before it crept in. Three minutes later Eliasi could do nothing to prevent Maccabi’s second as Milson squared the ball to Ofir Davidzada who on his weak right foot found the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

Second Half

Robbie Keane introduced Ido Shahar for Osher Davida at the restart, his Beersheva counterpart Elyaniv Barda sent in Maximo Levy, Roy Gordana and Ilay Madmon for Or Dadia, Iran Omar and Alon Turgeman.

Maccabi continued to dominate placing Beersheva’s goal under siege as Enric Saborit’s dangerous cross right on the hour mark was missed by Idan Nachmias who failed to connect. Two minutes later Biton flashed a shot which narrowly missed the target. Keane made a double substitution on 65 as Eden Karzev and Biton bowed out and we’re replaced by Joris van Overeem and Eran Zahavi.

In the 69th minute Maccabi cut through Be’ersheva’s defense as Ido Shahar side footed the ball in the bottom far corner to make it 3-0.

Davidzada came off to a standing ovation as he was replaced by Matan Baltaxa for Keane’s fourth substitution on the night. In the 83rd minute Keane made his final change as he introduced Yonatan Cohen for Turgeman who received a standing ovation from the 25,180 fans. Cohen’s impact was almost instant as Eliasi saved from Zahavi while Cohen pounced on the rebound and blasted his shot against the base of the post.

A numbers game: Maccabi’s home run against Be’ersheva

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Maccabi met Hapoel Be’ersheva 150 times in all competitions winning 77 matches, drawing 39 and losing 34 with a total goal record of 220-124.

Both teams faced each other for a 131 league encounters with Maccabi winning 62, drawing 38 and losing 31. The goal tally in the league currently stands on 183-111.

Since the 2018/19 championship winning season, Maccabi hosted Be’ersheva 11 times winning 7 and drawing 4 with a goal tally of 15-3.

The two clubs were teamed up only once on MD34 during the 2017/18 season at Turner stadium. A Dor Peretz winning goal ended Be’ersheva’s 51 match long unbeaten home run in domestic competitions to dampen the hosts’ championship celebrations.

Be’ersheva secured their championship in the 2016/17 season with a 2-1 victory over Maccabi in the Netanya stadium.

Maccabi on the other hand, won the league title twice in the past at Be’ersheva. An Alon Brummer winning goal on the final day of the 1994/95 season gave Maccabi a 1-0 victory and the 17th league title. An Eran Zahavi brace on MD33 of the 2013/14 season gave Maccabi a 2-1 victory over Hapoel Be’ersheva at Vassermil stadium to win the 21st championship in the club’s history.

Daniel Tishler signed a 3-year-deal at Maccabi

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Daniel Tishler, the Maccabi Tel Aviv ‘Shahar’ defender, signed a three-year-deal at the club with an option to extend by a further season. In his first season with Maccabi’s Under 19’s, Tishler, scored 2 goals in 23 appearances.
At international level Tishler made 3 appearances for Israel’s U17’s and as he holds a Czech citizenship, he also made 9 appearances for the Czech Republic’s U17’s and U18’s.