The COVID-19 pandemic began spreading in March and effected our lives in an unprecedented way. Part of the pandemic’s influence on football was the decision to stage the remaining matches of the 2019/20 season behind closed doors, with no fans in attendance. This decision seriously damaged the Club and certainly you the fans. Your support is something that we are all missing in every game and every competition. Everyone at the Club, from the players to the last of the employees are longing for your speedy return to the stadium safe and sound.

You, the fans, who support us unconditionally, meticulously strengthened us in these difficult times through numerous approaches, letters of support, notifications to the courts and petitions on social media. The Club is aware and appreciates your actions – your support is important to us, it contributes a lot to the team’s success both on the pitch and in financial terms. For that, we would like to express our gratitude.
Despite the financial blow the Club has suffered, we are going to great lengths in order to minimize as much as possible the harm caused to you – our fans and season ticket holders.

Due to the fact the 2019/20 Season Ticket holders were unable to attend the Playoff home matches, we would like to announce that the Club has decided to issue a Credit Plan under which every 2019/20 Season Ticket holder will be entitled to a credit equal to 25% of the cost of the Season Ticket purchased for the 2019/20 season as detailed below:.

Season Ticket holders will be able to choose to exercise the credit in one of the following four options:

1. Waiving your credit in favor of support to the club: A Season Ticket holder who will choose this option will keep the credit at the club and help us successfully overcome one of the most challenging periods in our history. We are aware of the various initiatives taken by fans in a bid to harness themselves and assist the club and we would like to use this opportunity to express our full appreciation and thank you for that
2. . Transferring the credit in favor of the Youth Academy development: Over the years, Maccabi Tel Aviv FC’s Youth Academy has been the Club’s flagship. The credits of Season Ticket holders who choose this option, will be transferred to the development and promotion of Maccabi’s next generation. The funds transferred will assist the Youth Department, amongst other things, to purchase advanced equipment and lead technological developments in order to promote the Youth Academy players, from juniors all the way to the U-19’s side.
3. An e-voucher which can be used at the Maccabi ONLINE store: A Season Ticket holder choosing this option will receive an e-voucher with the credit – which can be used against purchases at the Maccabi ONLINE store. The e-voucher will be valid for 12 months from date of reception.
4. An e-voucher towards the purchase of a Season Ticket: A Season Ticket holder choosing this option could carry over the credit against the purchase of a Season Ticket to the team’s home matches via the Lean website. The validity for purchasing a Season Ticket is strictly for the next sale of Season Tickets once permitted and under the restrictions announced at the time and the coupon will be available to you for one season only.

Season Ticket holders will be able to choose one of the options listed above until

How can you choose your alternative option? Very simple.

1. Log-in to the Leaan website

2. Type your Username & Password
– It is not possible to attach several Season Tickets onto a single transaction – every Season Ticket holder must log-in and choose himself.
– In the event you do not remember your Username or Password or for any other query regarding the Season Tickets Credit Plan – do not hesitate to get in touch with us via Email on: st1920@mtafc.com

3. Choose one of the Credit options

Upon completion of the process you will receive an Emailed confirmation to your personal address.

Keeping healthy and maintaining the health of your loved ones these days is paramount, as we all hope to return to the normality of matches as soon as possible.

We are looking forward for the moment when we could all meet at Bloomfield with our fans who fill the stadium and cheer the team on just like our fans know how to.

We thank you for your support and we will continue communicating updates as long as there is new and relevant information.

Maccabi Tel Aviv signed Rowan Lancaster Human, a South African midfielder from Bidvest Wits FC. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder signed a one-year-deal with an option to extend by a further season and will be loaned out to Beitar Tel Aviv Bat Yam.

Luis Hernandez Rodriguez, a 31-year-old central defender joined Maccabi on a free transfer from Spanish club Malaga CF, successfully underwent a medical at the club and signed one-year-deal with an option to extend by a further season.

Hernandez, 183cm, who will wear the number 44 at Maccabi, told the club’s official website: “I am happy to be joining Maccabi, a club I heard so much about from Juan Pablo Colinas and Jose Rodriguez. Playing in the EUROPA League and competing for titles is something I will be looking forward to. But more than anything I hope to see the Maccabi fans back in the stadium very soon”.

A product of Real Madrid’s Youth Academy, Hernandez played for Real Madrid’s C’ and Real Madrid B’ between 2007-2011 before joining Real Sporting de Gijon in 2012. Hernandez, who played at Gijon alongside former Maccabi keeper Juan Pablo Colinas, made 140 appearances and scored one goal in four seasons for the Asturian club.

In the summer of 2016, Hernandez moved to England and joined Premier League Champions, Leicester City. Hernandez made 9 appearances in all competitions for the Foxes including four in the Champions League group stages. Towards the end of the 2017 January transfer window, Hernandez, returned to Spain and joined Malaga. The central defender who could also play as a full-back, scored 2 goals in 112 appearances in the top and second Spanish tiers as well as captaining the Andalusian side on several occasions.

Aleksandar Pesic, a 28-year-old Serbian striker, who joined Maccabi on a free transfer from Saudi club Al-Ittihad Jeddah, successfully underwent a medical at the club and signed a one-year-deal with an option to extend by a further season.

Pesic, who will wear the number 72 at Maccabi, told the club’s official website: “I heard so much about Maccabi from my fellow countrymen Uros Nikolic, Predrag Rajkovic and Nikola Mitrovic. I was told that Maccabi always challenges for all titles and I am excited to join such a big club”.

Pesic, 190cm, who scored 10 goals in 23 appearances last season whilst on loan with South Korean club FC Seoul – joined Al-Ittihad in 2018 where he managed a goal in 12 appearances.  A season earlier however, the tall Serb was the top scorer in his country scoring 25 league goals and 22 assists and a total of 29 from 51 appearances in all competitions for Red Star Belgrade.

Three days after his 16^th birthday in 2008, Pesic, who made his first footballing steps at Radnicki Nis, became the youngest player to make his senior debut for his club. He then moved to Greece and spent two seasons for OFI Crete, joined Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova (2011-2013) before returning to Serbia to join Jagodina where he scored 17 in 27 appearances. In 20014 Pesic switched to French outfit Toulouse for which he scored 8 goals in 65 appearances but also spent a season on loan in Italy playing in Serie A’ with Atalanta.

In 2016 and at the age of 24, Pesic, who represented Serbia at U-21 and U-19 levels, made his only appearance for the national side against Ukraine.

Maccabi’s Greek coach Georgios Donis reacted to Friday’s EUROPA League draw which pitted his side against Spanish side Villarreal, Azerbaijan champions Qarabag and Turkish outfit Sivasspor.

The 50-year-old Greek who guided Apoel Nicosia to the Champions League group stage, qualified with Maccabi to the EUROPA League group stages for the 5^th time in the past decade. Donis, who was sent off during Wednesday’s 3-1 Champions League Playoff defeat to FC Salzburg, told the club’s official website after the draw: “After such a draw, my priority is not to say whether the draw is good or bad, but rather for the team to be in good shape after 20 days and to fight for every game. There is clearly one big club in our group, namely Villarreal, but the other two clubs are also quality sides. Qarabag is a very experienced side in Europe as they appeared in the Champions League group stage and they are a tough opponent.    Sivasspor is a good side from Turkey which is a very good league and the fact they finished fifth in the table speaks volumes. I believe that this group, besides Villarreal which are the clear favourites – is very open”.

Veteran striker Etey Schechter added: “It is not an easy draw. A strong Spanish team – Villarreal, Qarabg and Sivvasspor. We will definitely have to do our homework and learn about our opposition. We all know who are the current favourites to win the group. We will prepare for all our matches. For the moment the EUROPA League match is our next official fixture and I hope that we will return to play in the Israeli league as soon as possible. I also hope that the entire Israeli football returns to action both for the rest of the players and the fans”.

On the opponents Maccabi face in group ‘I’: “Villarreal is a side Maccabi had met in the past. One can’t say that this is the most attractive draw we could have had, but, on the other hand we are facing some strong sides. We will arrive and do our maximum in order to try and qualify from the group. We will prepare our best for those matches which are far from simple”.

“Who did I dream of drawing? I wanted to be drawn in the group of Napoli and Read Sociedad. I wanted to play at Napoli’s stadium and also play against a Spanish side which is something I had never done before. A club like Villarreal is a big club with a terrific stadium and set of home fans. At the moment, there are no fans allowed in, but still we will have to be prepared to face a side which has a good record at home”.

Maccabi Tel Aviv reached the Europa League Group stages for the fifth time in a decade. Maccabi will discover their opponents for this autumn and winter as the draw for the Group stages will take place on Friday at 14:00 at UEFA’s Headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

Despite several upsets in Thursday’s Europa League Playoff, Maccabi were still ranked in Pot C’ thus avoiding the likes of Spanish side Granada, Italian giants AC Milan, former Europa League opponents AZ Alkmaar of Holland, fellow Dutch power-house Feyenoord, Greek side AEK Athens, Glasgow Rangers, Norwegian Champions Molde, Lask of Austria, CFR Cluj of Rumania that knocked Maccabi out of the Champions League last season, Hapoel Be’ersheva, and former striker Mounas Dabbur’s German side Hoffenheim. The first MD of the Group stages is scheduled to take place on October 22^nd.

So who could Maccabi face? 27 clubs secured their place in the Group stage and were joined by 21 clubs who qualified through the UEL Playoff. Amongst the opponents that could qualify are Tottenham Hotspur that beat Maccabi Haifa 7-2 at White Harte Lane, CSKA Sofia that knocked out Basel as well as PSV Eindhoven featuring their new signing Eran Zahavi who scored on his debut to beat Rosenburg. As well as Zahavi and Dabbur another two former Maccabi players who could face their boyhood club are Eliel Peretz whose Austrian side Wolfsberg were placed in Pot D as is Mavis Chibotta with Bulgarian outfit Ludogorets.

Pot A: Arsenal (England), Tottenham Hotspur (England), Roma (Italy), Napoli (Italy), Benfica Lisbon (Portugal), Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), Villarreal (Spain), CSKA Moscow (Russia), Sporting Braga (Portugal), Gent (Belgium), PSV Eindhoven (Holland), Celtic (Scotland).

Pot B: GNK Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia), Sparta Prague (Czech. Republic), Slavia Prague (Czech. Republic), Ludogorets (Bulgaria), Young Boys (Switzerland), Red Star Belgrade (Serbia), Rapid Vienna (Austria), Leicester City (England), Qarabag (Azerbijan), PAOK Thessaloniki (Greece). Standard Liege (Belgium), Real Sociedad (Spain).

Pot C: Granada (Spain), AC Milan (Italy), AZ Alkmaar (Holland), Feyenoord (Holland), AEK Athens (Greece), Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel), Rangers (Scotland), Molde (Norway), Hoffenheim (Germany), Lask (Austria), Hapoel Be’ersheva (Israel), CFR Cluj (Rumania).

Pot D:  Zorya Luhansk (Ukraine), Lille (France), Nice (France), Rijeka (Croatia), Dundalk (Ireland), Slovan Liberece (Slovakia), Royal Antwerp (Belgium), Lech Poznan (Poland), Sivasspor (Turkey), Wolfsberg (Austria), Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus), CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria).