“We haven’t lost our deterrent force. Last year we had an amazing season despite all the hurdles and we had plenty of them. Football is dynamic, players leave and players join but no player is bigger than the club. Three years ago, when we were under the Financial Fair Play restrictions, several anonymous young players like Dan Glazer and Yonatan Cohen were given a chance to lead the team and ultimately they proved themselves and won the championship. There are many talented players at Maccabi who together with some experienced players are the current squad. I believe the squad is not complete just yet and as the transfer window will shut I am sure the team will be complete and Maccabi will be much better”.

Ben Chaim who was denied by the post in last week’s first leg in Slovakia, added: “We had an excellent match last week and everyone could see that it could have easily ended 3 or 4 nil. I think that whoever is at the club is doing their best to ensure this club will be where it is supposed to be as I am certain we will have a good team this season”

Eden Shamir signed a one-year-deal at Maccabi Tel Aviv after successfully undergoing a medical at the club to complete his loan-deal from Standard Liege where he played since January 2020.

After signing his contract, Shamir, who will wear the number 18 at Maccabi, said: “I am happy and delighted to join such a massive and glorious club such as Maccabi Tel Aviv. To join a club of such magnitude is a dream come true for every kid, as all I have to do now is work hard in order to help the team achieve its’ targets this season”.

Barak Itzhaki, Head of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Football Department added: “We are delighted to add Eden to Maccabi Tel Aviv and wish him good luck”.

This season Shamir played once for Liege in the league against Genk as well as one pre-season friendly match against Mechelen. Last season Shamir made 23 appearances for Liege in all competitions including featuring for the Belgian club in the Europa League group stages.

The midfielder, 185cm, began his playing career at Hapoel Haifa’s youth academy before switching to Kiryat Shmona in 2012. Shamir made his senior debut for Kiryat Shmona at a league match against Hapoel Ra’anana in November 2013 and at the end of that season won the State Cup.

He scored his first senior goal against Maccabi Tel Aviv in a penalty shoot-out that saw Kiryat Shmona win the Super Cup of the 2015/16 season.

In six seasons at Kiryat Shmona, Shamir scored a total of 14 goals in 159 appearances in all competitions before moving ahead of the 2019/20 season to Hapoel Be’ersheva.

During half the season he played for Be’ersheva before moving to Belgium, Shamir scored 3 goals in 25 appearances in all competitions, and for Israel’s young national teams scored 3 more goals in 36 international appearances.

   

 

A victory over Spartak Trnava in Thursday’s return leg at Bloomfield, will see Maccabi that were held to a 0-0 in Slovakia last week, travel to Kazakhstan and face Shakhter Karagandy in the Playoffs.

After a goalless draw in the Ukraine, no goals were scored both in regular and extra time of the return leg at Astana’s Nuri Shahin stadium as Shakhter beat Kolos 3-1 at the end of sudden death spot kicks

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC announces that it has reached an agreement with Pisa Sporting Club for the transfer of Yonatan Cohen.

The 25-year-old forward received permission to travel to Pisa and complete the transfer to the Italian club.

Shortly before leaving for the airport and heading back home, and minutes after Maccabi were held to a goalless draw by Slovakian outfit Spartak Trnava, Eylon Almog summed up the game: “We are Maccabi Tel Aviv and we always want to win. One could see that we came with positive energies and we were prepared for this game. We created lots of chances but we are disappointed we didn’t manage to score. I am certain that at home with the support of our fans we will complete the job. I am always here to help the team and I hope it will continue in this way”.

Almog, who scored an injury time against Sutjeska last week, and missed a chance to add to his personal tally, added: “I also came close to score tonight and hope it will happen next week. We are all working very hard in order to improve and I think this is evident in every game we play”.

Pregame

Making the 150th appearance in European competition against the 70th opponent, Maccabi Tel Aviv began their assault on the Europa Conference League Playoff stage. A week before hosting Spartak Trnava at Bloomfield stadium, the Slovakian side hosted the 3rd qualifying round first leg at the śtadion Antona Malatinského, in Trnava.

Maccabi’s coach Patrick van Leeuwen who was several players through injury was forced to make some changes from the side that advanced past Sutjeska in the previous round.

With Daniel Tenenbaum still not a 100% fit, young Daniel Peretz who had a promising start to the campaign, kept his place in goal. Matan Baltaxa and Louis Hernandez lined up as the two central defenders with Andre Geraldes on the right and Enric Saborit on the left completed the back four. Sheran Yeini who missed the previous round with COVID, led the side with the captain’s armband as he partnered Dan Glazer at the heart of midfield. Avi Rikan completed the midfield trio while Matan Hozez and Tal Ben Chaim on his 32nd birthday were named by Van Leeuwen as the two wingers. Osama Khalaila, who scored a brace in last week’s return leg against the Montenegrins led the attack aiming to replicate his performance.

First Half

Maccabi began the match on the front foot and came close to break the deadlock as early as the fifth minute when Osama release Tal Ben Chaim into the area. The winger, cut onto his right before unleashing a low drive that struck the base of the post to deny the 32-year-old a goal an perfect birthday present. In the 9th minute Maccabi’s defense were stretched as a Saymon Cabral cross rolled across the face of goal with Bamidele Yusuf failing to make contact. In the 15th minute however, Maccabi struck the woodwork once again as Matan Hozez’s trickery down the right flank resulted with a pinpoint cross that was headed by Matan Baltaxa onto the crossbar.

Maccabi continued pushing forward as Andre Geraldes combined well with Hozez in the 20th minute only to see the cross of the Portuguese full-back deflected out by a Trnava defender before Avi Rikan or Khalaila could connect.

Hozez flashed a left foot shot that cleared the crossbar on 25, but four minutes later Hozez whipped in a free kick that was tipped over by goalkeeper Dominic Takac. Hozez came even closer less than sixty seconds later as Ben Chaim picked him at the back post with a delicate chip but despite directing his header on goal, Filip Twardzik managed to rescue Trnava from conceding as he headed the ball off his line.

Russian referee Kiril Levnikov didn’t add a second as he blew the halftime whistle exactly in the 45th minute sending both teams into the dressing room with the score still at 0-0.

Second half 

The second half began exactly where the first one left off as Hozez blasted a left foot shot high and wide of the target. Jan Vlasko became the first player to enter the referee’s book for a foul on Dan Glazer in the 52nd minute. The same Vlasko escaped a second booking on 57 for a foul on Ben Chaim near the corner of the area. The winger picked himself up and curled a free kick that found Khalaila but the forward sent his header high over the bar.

Van Leeuwen made his first change in the 65th minute as Shahar Piven replaced the industrious Yeini who handed the captain’s armband to Glazer. While Maccabi tried desperately to find an opening but were denied time after time by Spartak’s defence, Daniel Peretz was forced to make a first serious save in the 69th minute. The talented young keeper was at full stretch to push out Kyriakos Savividis’s shot out for a corner that was cleared by Maccabi’s defence. Van Leeuwen made a double change in the 76th minute as Maor Kandil and Eylon Almog replaced both Khalaila and Ben Chaim.

Almog introduced himself well into the game as his turn on the edge of Spartak area in the 80th minute left a defender stranded but the Maccabi forward’s final touch let himself down as he tried releasing Rikan instead of trying to shoot. Three minutes later, Almog managed a dangerous shot on target, but Takac pushed the ball out. Ido Shahar replaced Hozez in the 89th minute as Van Leeuwen made his final substitution of the game. Inside injury time, Kandil found himself deep inside Trnava’s penalty area, but his shot rattled the crossbar shortly before the referee blew the full time whistle.

With no goals scored in Slovakia, both teams will meet at Bloomfield once again as they compete for a place in the Conference League Playoffs.