3 trophies, 57 official matches

Maccabi won 3 trophies this season: State Cup, Toto Cup and Super Cup.

The club qualified for the 7^th time to the European group stages.

Qualification to the EUROPA League Round of 32 equaled a club record set in 2013/14.

In the video: Summary of the State Cup victory

Maccabi played 57 matches in all competitions this season: 13 in Europe, 36 League, 5 State Cup and 3 Super Cup and Toto Cup.

Maccabi played more matches in one season only 3 times in history: 62 (2017), 59 (2018) and 58 (2016).

Ninety four goals were scored the season in all competitions: 60 by foot, 15 penalties, 14 headers, 1 chest, 1 free kick (and 3 more own goals)

Records of the season:

The highest victory of the season (4-0) was reached in the first Tel Aviv derby (20.12.20).

Maccabi finished in the top two league positions in 9 successive seasons. This record equals the achievements set only once in Israel’s history by Hapoel Petah Tikva (1955-1963).

In the video: The 4-0 derby victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv

Maccabi enjoyed a 77.3% success rate under Patrick van Leeuwen in the league (17 victories, 7 draws and 1 defeat).

Of the 23 coaches who guided sides in the top flight this season, van Leeuwen has the best success rate, ahead of Maccabi Haifa’s Barak Barack (73.1%) and Menachem Koretzki (70.8%).

Van Leeuwen set a new record and has the best success rate of all the 239 top-flight coaches in Israel’s history who didn’t start the season (and coached more than 12 matches).

Peter Bosz (75.4% as Maccabi’s coach in 2016) is second while Arik Benado (74.1% with Maccabi Haifa in 2013) is ranked third.

Maccabi recorded four victories inside injury time – the most in one season throughout history. The record was achieved by Maccabi in the 19^th round having beaten Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Haifa, Bnei Sachnin and Kiryat Shmona.

In the video: The dramatic 4-3 victory over Hapoel Haifa

Maccabi played Hapoel Be’ersheva 7 times during the 2020/21 season – the opponent we faced the most this season.  The record: 5 victories and 2 draws.

Yonatan Cohen scored 14 goals in all competitions and is Maccabi’s top scorer for the second season in succession. Cohen and Aleksandar Pesic share the top-scorer charts in the league with 10 goals each.

Dan Biton assisted 9 goals this season – all in the league.

Eden Karzev’s winning goal against Maccabi Petah Tikva from 28 meters is the goal scored from the longest distance this season on MD14 (04.01.21).

Eytan Tibi scored the fastest goal in Maccabi’s matches this season – during the 2-2 against Maccabi Haifa in the Playoff on MD33 (09.05.21).

In the video: Karzev’s goal against Maccabi Petah Tikva

Dan Biton scored the latest Maccabi goal this season – A 98^th minute penalty against Kiryat Shmona in the first league round on MD10 (13.12.20).   

Daniel Tenenbaum made the record number of appearances this season in all competitions (56). Only Predrag Rajkovic (57) featured more times in one season (2016/17) as a Maccabi player throughout history.

Dor Peretz (52) holds the record number of appearances for a field  player this season scoring 10 goals and assisting in 7.

Sheran Yeini (34.5 years) is the oldest player to appear for Maccabi this season.

Dor Turgeman is the youngest player to feature for Maccabi this season making his senior debut during the Toto Cup Final in August before his 17^th birthday.

Maccabi fielded 33 players in all competitions – 16 of the 26 who were raised in Israel are products of Maccabi’s Youth Academy, while 7 were born abroad.

 

“In my opinion this season has a different weight. Both personally and as a team there was a lot on the shoulders of players who in the past used to share the burden of responsibility with others but this season took center stage – I am one of those. This is why I felt the bond and the extremely powerful and emotional joy at the end. I felt I had to offload and celebrate with the fans”.

Cohen, who scored the equaliser on the on the way to the 2-1 extra time victory, said: “I dreamed of winning all the titles at Maccabi ever since the age of six. Today I have come full circle. There is no one happier than me right, this club and these fans deserve it”.

On the feelings after winning the Cup that arrived after conceding the Championship, he said: “We are Maccabi Tel Aviv, we aim to win all the titles. We are unhappy at losing the championship and from here I would like to congratulate Maccabi Haifa, who had a fantastic season and probably deserve it, but the cup is ours. The Cup is Yellow and so is Tel Aviv”.

Captain Sheran Yeini said: “We felt that we must win this match and this is what we told ourselves” the 34-year-old revealed. “We are a very strong and united team and there was no other option but to win”.’

 

Pre Match

Aiming to end a long season on a high, Maccabi Tel Aviv arrived at Bloomfield stadium for the State Cup Final against bitter city rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv knowing that victory could see them clinch the third domestic title of the season. Having won the Super Cup and the Toto Cup at the start of the season, Maccabi’s coach Patrick van Leeuwen who managed to guide the team to a fierce title race that ended on the last day of the season, wanted to end the campaign exactly like he started it – on the winners podium.

Van Leeuwen made four changes from the side that was held to a 2-2 draw by Kiryat Shmona in Sunday’s final league match. Daniel Tenenbaum started his 56th match of the season and 101st Maccabi appearance in goal, while Matan Baltaxa replaced Eytan Tibi as the second central defender alongside Louis Hernandez. Enric Saborit at left-back and Andre Geraldes at right-back completed the back-four on what was their first ever Cup Final.

Dor Peretz returned from his one-match suspension to join Sheran Yeini and Dan Glazer as the midfield engine room. Tal Ben Chaim and Eduardo Guerrero were named by van Leeuwen as the two wingers with Etey Shechter leading the attack from the striker’s role. On the bench alongside goalkeeper Daniel Peretz waiting to make an impact if called upon were Matan Hozez, Nick Blackman, Dan Biton, Eytan Tibi, Yonatan Cohen, Ofir Davidzada, Shahar Piven and Eden Karzev.

First Half

The match hardly got underway before it was halted 10 seconds after the start following flares and smoke granades that were thrown onto the pitch by Hapoel fans. Once the smoke cleared, Maccabi’s fans got into the action themselves as smoke grenades and flares were thrown from the Yellow side of the stadium four minutes later.

After plenty of tussles at the center of the center of the pitch, Maccabi reached the first chance of the game via a counter attack that began with a Tal Ben Chaim cross to Shechter. The veteran striker teed-up Dor Peretz who couldn’t get a shot on goal as the ball was blocked for a corner from which Enric Saborit blasted a powerful drive that was collected by Ernst Setkos.

In the middle of Maccabi’s attacks Hapoel broke the deadlock a minute after the half hour mark as Omri Altman found himself unmarked inside the area before firing past Tenenbaum to silence the Yellow half of Bloomfield. Three minutes later Etey Shechter rattled the base of the post before Peretz attempt to reach the rebound was cleared for a corner. Matan Baltaxa rose high to head the resulting corner but the defender’s effort sailed wide of the post.

Maccabi were given a golden opportunity to level the score in the 40th minute as Ben Chaim floated a pinpoint free kick that found Peretz whose close range header cleared the crossbar.

Ben Chaim had several chances to break down the left flank before the interval but couldn’t manage to get his cross into the dangerzone. Despite Maccabi enjoying most of the possession during the five minutes of added time, they couldn’t find the breakthrough that would level the score.

Second Half

Van Leeuwen made a single change after the interval as Matan Hozez replaced Ben Chaim at the restart.

Ninty seconds after his introduction Hozez made himself busy as he broke down the right and sent a cross that was collected by Stekos before a Maccabi player could get a touch.

Maccabi kept dominating as an attack that began with Sheran Yeini down the left flank on 49 saw Shechter tee-up Saborit who miscued his shot wide. A long range trade mark Louis Hernandez throw in that was initially headed by Yeini in the 53rd minute, fell to Baltaxa whose snap shot from the area went high and wide.

A Hozez shot come cross on 56 threatened to creep in at the near post but Stekos reacted well as the Lithuanian keeper caught the ball. Yonatan Cohen replaced Shechter three minutes after the hour mark as Van Leeuwen made his second substitution sending Guerrero forward.

Dan Biton replaced Yeini on 69 as Ven Leeuwen made his third change of the game adding more flair into the midfield. It didn’t take long for Cohen to make his impact as in the 71st minute Dan Glazer floated a delicate chip from midfield towards the area, before Cohen ghosted in and flicked a looping header over the advancing Stekos. Bloomfield erupted in Yellow celebrations and with the score level at 1-1 Maccabi were back on the front foot.

Dan Biton had his claims for a penalty waved by referee Erez Pappir before Guerrero wasted a chance in the 86th minute as the Panamanian forward blasted high over the crossbar. On 88 Cohen rose high to head a Hernandez throw in which Setkos managed to catch on his line. A minute later Guerrero broke down the right flank and was brought down by Edi Gotlieb. Despite Pappir initially awarding a penalty, VAR corrected the decision and awarded a free kick that Biton shot straight into a Hapoel defender.

Five minutes of added time just flew by as Pappir’s full time whistle sent both teams for 30 minutes of extra time.

Extra Time

Maccabi completed the comeback in the 95th as Biton crossed a free kick into the far post where Baltaxa knocked the ball down for Hernandez who blasted a volley past Setkos from close range to make it 2-1.

Hernandez pulled a last gasp well timed tackle to block Emanuel Boateng’s dangerous shot from inside the area seconds before the first period of extra time ended.

In the 112th minute, Tenenbaum was at full stretch to push Boateng’s shot for a corner that resulted in a Maccabi counter attack that almost saw the match sealed. Cohen broke forward together with Guerrero and Peretz whose shot was saved by Setkos. A reckless tackle on Peretz inside the center circle went unpunished before Haooel scored from the counter attack. But the red’s celebrations were shortlived as VAR assisted Pappir in canceling the goal. Hell broke lose on the pitch as Hapoel protested and had Shai Aisen and coach Nir Klinger sent off consequently.

 

Enric Saborit will remain a Maccabi Tel Aviv player for at least until the end of the 2022/23 after the Spanish defender signed an agreement to sign a new two-year-deal with an option to extend by a further season.

Saborit, successfully completed his medical at the club today (Friday) before signing his contract.

Maccabi’s Head of the Football Department, Barak Itzhaki told the club’s official website: “From the first day Enric joined Maccabi, an instant natural bond was formed with the players, the club, and the fans. In the three years he wore Maccabi’s Yellow and Blue strip, Saborit showed an impressive ability, professionalism, leadership, and his serenity, projected on those around him. We are happy Enric will be staying with us for at least two more seasons and wish they will be at least as successful”.

Saborit, who joined Maccabi in the summer of 2018, scored 7 goals in 122 appearances in all competitions, told the clubs’ website: “When I first joined Maccabi three years ago, we never believed that Tel Aviv would become the new home of the Saborit family. After agreeing on the new deal, I am delighted that we will be part of the Maccabi family for at least two more years. Now it is back to Israel and back to work, as we have another long season ahead of us”.

He made his Maccabi debut during the EUROPA League qualifier against Ferencvaros and a total of 20 appearances in European competitions. Saborit played a key role in Maccabi’s Europa League campaign (20/21) and helped the team each the Round of 32.

In three successful seasons at Maccabi, Saborit won 7 trophies: 2 League Championships (18/19, 19/20), State Cup (20/21), 2 Toto Cups (18/19, 20/21) and 2 Super Cups (19/20, 20/21).