Vladan Ivic has been appointed as Maccabi Tel Aviv Head Coach after the 45-year-old Serbian signed a 2-year-deal.

Owner, Mitch Goldhar stated: “I look forward to working closely with Vladan again. I am confident that he and his staff will bring the focus and work ethic necessary to succeed ”.

Ivic, who led Maccabi Tel Aviv to win the championship in the 18/19 and 19/20 seasons, told the club’s official website: “I am looking forward to the challenge and I am focused on working hard to achieve our targets”.

Ivic was appointed as Head Coach in the summer of 2018 and in his first season in charge (2018/19) guided Maccabi to the league title by a 31-point margin as well as the Toto Cup. Under Ivic’s stewardship Maccabi won the Championship for the second season in succession having won the Super Cup at the start of the 2019/20. In the summer of 2020 Ivic moved to England and was appointed as Watford manager a position he held before leaving in December that year.

Ivic’s coaching staff will see the return to Tel Aviv of Milos Veselinovic and Christos Kelpekis who were both part of the coaching staff during the previous tenure as they will be joined by two new additions in Sinisa Gogic as second assistant coach and Pavlos Gotsis as fitness coach.

The close season is well underway as the various national team matches took center stage. As Maccabi has several international players we rounded up their performances over the weekend.

Israel’s national team began its’ UEFA Nations League campaign in Group B on Thursday with a home match against Iceland that ended in a 2-2 draw. Dan Glazer made a 74^th minute substitute appearance and helped Alon Hazan’s side collect their first point. Israel now face two matches away from home – Albania (June 10^th) and Iceland (June 13^th).

On Sunday, Djordje Jovanovic made his full debut for Serbia as the 23-year-old striker played the first 45 minutes in the 4-1 victory over Slovenia in Belgrade. Ranked second together with Sweden behind Group H leaders Norway, Serbia face a tough trip to Solna on June 9^th.

Brandley Kuwas played 90 minutes for Curacao against Honduras in the CONCACAF Nations League, but couldn’t prevent his side from suffering 1-0 defeat at the Ergilio Hato stadium in Willemstad.

Daniel Peretz and Oscar Gloukh were both in action and played 90 minutes as Israel Under 21’s suffered a 1-0 defeat in Latvia at the Skonto stadium in Riga that damaged their chances to qualify from Group B’. Guy Mizrahi and Ido Shahar who spent last season on loan also featured in the match while Nadav Niddam was an unused substitute. Currently ranked third with 16 points from 9 matches behind Poland (18) and Germany (24) Israel now host bottom of the group San Marinoat Petah Tikva on June 7^th.

Novatos Miroshi, who spent last season on loan at Beitar Tel Aviv Bat Yam played 90 minutes in Tanzania’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Niger at the Stade de l’Amitie in Cotonou Benin. Tanzania return home and host Group F leaders Algeria on June 8^th at the Benjamin Mkapa national stadium in Dar es Salaam.

The Israel Professional Football League launched the 2022/23 ONE ZERO Digital Bank league campaign today (Tuesday) as it revealed the fixture list of the forthcoming season.

Maccabi will begin their first league match of the 2022/23 season at Bloomfield as they host newly promoted side Bnei Reineh on the weekend of August 20^th. The 26^th and final match day of the regular season is set to take place around March 11^th before the Playoff begins. This season however, a significant change will see an imposed break between November to the middle of December while the World Cup Final is being played in Qatar.

Maccabi will officially begin its’ domestic season on July 14^th as they host Maccabi Netanya in the Toto Cup with the winner guaranteed a place in the Semi Final.

ONE ZERO Digital Bank League fixtures: (Final dates and KO times TBC)

MD 1 August 20^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Bnei Reineh

MD 2 August 27^th Hapoel Hadera vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

MD 3 September 3^rd Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Ironi Kiryat Shmona

MD 4 September 10^th Ashdod SC vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

MD 5 September 17^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Beitar Jerusalem

MD 6 October 1^st Maccabi Haifa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

MD 7 October 8^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Hapoel Tel Aviv

MD 8 October 15^th Bnei Sakhnin vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

MD 9 October 22^nd Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Maccabi Netanya

MD 10 October 29^th Hapoel Be’ersheva vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

MD 11 November 5^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Sektzia Nes Ziona

MD 12 November 8^th Hapoel Jerusalem vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

MD 13 November 12^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Hapoel Haifa

MD 14 December 17^th Bnei Reineh vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

MD 15 December 24^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Hapoel Hadera

MD 16 December 31^st Ironi Kiryat Shmona vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

MD 17 January 7^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Ashdod SC

MD 18 January 14^th Beitar Jerusalem vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

MD 19 January 21^st Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Maccabi Haifa

MD 20 January 28^th Hapoel Tel Aviv vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

MD 21 February 4^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Bnei Sakhnin

MD 22 February 11^th Maccabi Netanya vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

MD 23 February 18^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Hapoel Be’ersheva

MD 24 February 25^th Sektzia Nes Ziona vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

MD 25 March 4^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Hapoel Jerusalem

MD 26 March 11^th Hapoel Haifa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

Playoffs:

MD 27 March 18^th

MD 28 April 1^st

MD 29 April 4^th

MD 30 April 8^th

MD 31 April 15^th

MD 32 April 22^nd

MD 33 April 29^th

MD 34 May 6^th

MD 35 May 13^th

MD 36 May 20^th

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC exercised the option to extend the contracts of Eyal Golasa, Ofir Davidzada and Parfait Guiagon by one more season.

As a result, Golasa (30) and Davidzada (31) who joined the club in 2016 and 2017 will remain at Maccabi for their 7^th and 6^th respective year until the end of the 2022/23 season. Guiagon (21), who spent last season on loan at Maccabi Netanya, will also remain a Maccabi player until the end of the 2022/23 season.

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC also exercised options in the contracts of Or Yitzhak, Guy Mizrahi, Moflah Shalaata, Bar Cohen, Nadav Niddam, Shai Balahsan, Assaf Hershhko, Omer Yitzhak and Eyal Hen who will all remain Maccabi players until the end of the 2023/24 season.

Rikan: “There is no secret that we always want to win titles, this season we didn’t do it. We always aspire for more” Avi Rikan said. “It is nice to end with a victory in the derby, it is good for the club and the fans, but one can’t forget we should have done more this season. I told the players on the way here that seasons end so quickly, it is exciting to end another season with a sweet victory in the derby, but one can’t forget thatbwe should have done more”.

On the long unbeaten run in derbies, the 33-year-old midfielder added: “This count is good for you and for statistics, but we are looking at it on a game-by-game basis. Today we spoke with the players and said: ‘Let’s keep this game alive for as long as we can and maybe with some fresh legs for the bench we could decide it. Sometimes, the last game of the season players from the 60th minute have their heads on the morning after with holidays and flights abroad. I made sure to remind everyone not to think of tomorrow but remain professional and focus on the game tonight. We are part of a big club and I am delighted we were professionals all the way till the end”.