Advanced gaming screens, VR glasses and enhanced reality devices were some of the attractions on show at Hisense’s Euro 2020 sponsorship launch at Bloomfield on Thursday. The Maccabi players present found it difficult to look away from the advanced devices that were the highlight of the event. Here is our account of what happened.

Maccabi Tel Aviv will host Ashdod SC on Saturday at 19:50 for what will be the 61st ever meeting between the two sides, with Maccabi winning 37 times, 13 draws and 10 victories for the visitors. The goal difference is 108-45 in favour of Maccabi.

Maccabi’s success rate of 69 percent against Ashdod is Maccabi’s best against any of the 15 current clubs in the TASE Premier League that Maccabi have played at least 50 times.

Maccabi’s home record against Ashdod is 20 wins, four draws and three defeats — a 79 percent success rate. That is also the highest against any current league opponents compared to any club that Maccabi have hosted at least 25 times.

The unbeaten run at home against Ashdod currently stands at 16 matches, which is in the top six, and three short of the record, against Bnei Sakhnin achieved between March 205 and November 2018.

The biggest win over Ashdod was the 7-1 result in 1997-98 when Ben Luz, Nir Klinger, Efi Tzafrir, Haim Hajaj, Guy Tsarfati and Alec Nilash scored for Maccabi.

Ashdod’s only away win this season was at Maccabi Netanya. It was also the club’s first-ever win at the Netanya stadium against any opposition.

Ashdod have not won at Bloomfield since November 2010 when they registered a 2-0 result over Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Of the 43 men who have turned out for both sides over the years, the only current player to have worn the strip of both teams in Shahar Piven. He was loaned to Ashdod in the 2017-18 season.

Ran Ben-Shimon, Ashdod’s newly-appointed coach, who was Maccabi’s coach in 2008-09, has an overall record of eight wins, five draws and eight defeats against Maccabi — a 46 percent record. It is second only to Avram Grant, whose 65 percent success against Maccabi is the best for any coach who has faced us in at least 20 matches.

Ben Shimon will also be the first coach this season to face Maccabi after being appointed in the middle of the campaign and this factoid weighs heavily in favour of Maccabi and coaches have had only five wins, eight draws but have suffered 32 defeats.

The biggest defeat for any coach against Maccabi in the past decade was the 5-0 drubbing inflicted on Guy Luzon when he was in charge of Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Derby.

In-form striker Omer Atzili spoke to reporters at the Hisense Euro 2020 launch on Thursday night and said Maccabi were prepared for the threat of attack by their opponents, Ashdod SC.

“We don’t know exactly what they are preparing for us, but we do know that their players have a very attacking attitude. They are a team that will try to go forward all the time, so we need to be ready. We do know them, so we hope we will be able to gain the upper hand.”

He talked about the rest of the season and the tough road that still lay ahead.

“It’s always harder to retain the title and as things close up in the standings. Every player knows that he must be at his best at the business end of the season because there will be no easy games and we could falter if we lose focus. We just need to concentrate on our own game and make sure we are in the best form possible.

Atzili said his successful return into the side from an injury that sidelined him for six months was due to toil and sweat.

“I worked hard to return from injury after six months out and while it may have seemed as if I fitted in smoothly, I had to put in the effort extensively with two training sessions every day.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv will meet Ashdod SC on Saturday at Bloomfield at 19:50 in the 20th round of the TASE Premier League and coach Vladimir Ivic spoke about the opponents who traditionally pose a tough obstacle for Maccabi. The club have just signed the experienced Ran Ben Shimon as their new coach.

 You know that old coat that’s been sitting in your closet for years? Or the sweater that hasn’t seen the light of day for ages? Now it’s time to give away the old and donate to a worthwhile cause.

After the huge success in the past three seasons, the Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation will be holding “Wrapping Up Warm 2020” to support the community in cooperation with the “Pitchon Lev” charity.

How do you donate?

At the upcoming home game against Ashdod SC at Bloomfield on Jan. 25 a truck from the Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation and “Pitchon Lev” will be waiting next to the club’s official merchandising trailer, near gates 7 and 8, where you can bring the clothes you want to donate.

By giving, you will have performed a good deed and helped the needy and as a token of our appreciation, one of our representatives will reward you with a small gift.

In the past three seasons, the campaign has seen great success, as over 5,000 winter clothing items have been collected. Fans have displayed their generosity and willingness to support the community when help is most needed.

 Maccabi Tel Aviv are gearing up for their TASE Premier League clash with Ashdod SC on Saturday and as part of their preparations they met the national under-21 team at Shefayyim on Tuesday.

The practice game was played over 80 minutes mainly in pouring rain. The first goal was scored by Nick Blackman in the 36th minute in a move begun by Shahar Piven, who sent a pass to Maor Kandil on the wing. He passed across the area and Blackman had an easy tap-in from close range.

Both sides made changes to their lineups in the second half but it did not affect Vladimir Ivic’s charges from continuing to create many chances. Maccabi also incuded a number of players from their under-19 squad. 

The second goal came in the 65th minute from a corner taken by Matan Hozez that went to Ruslan Barsky. He crossed into the area and Ofir Davidzada headed the ball on to Aron Schoenfeld who himself headed the ball into the net.

Lineups:

Maccabi Tel Aviv: Andreas Gianniotis (Omer Kats 41), Maor Kandil, Sheran Yeini, Shahar Piven, Ofir Davidzada, Ruslan Barsky, Avi Rikan (Nadav Nidam 41), Matan Hozez, Eylon Almog (Parfait Guiagon 53), Nick Blackman, Aron Schoenfeld (Ronen Hanchis 67).

Israel under-21s: Asaf Tzur, Idan Reta, Uri Dahan, Gil Cohen, Yahav Gurfinkel, Samuel Braun, Mohammed Abu Pani, Shai Elias, Tomer Yosefi, Hamudi Kanaan, Tai Beribo.

Second half: Daniel Peretz, Ofek Biton, Noam Cohen, Ziv Morgan, Dani Gruper, Eden Kartzev, Omer Lakao, Or Dasa, Bar Arad, Liel Abadeh, Tai Beribo (Ron Ashkenazi, 56)

The collapse of the Soviet Union at the beginning of the 1990s opened the floodgates for many talented footballers to bring their outstanding skills and strict work ethic to Western clubs and quite a number ended up in Israel.

One of the most impressive players who came to Israel during a decade of global political upheaval was Aleksey Kosolapov. The Russian midfielder, born March 17, 1971, came to Maccabi in 1998. He was already acquainted with Israeli football and was one of the scorers in Russia’s 2-0 win over Israel in a World Cup qualifier.

Kosolapov had played eight times and scored one goal for his country and had amassed 170 matches and scored 42 goals for Lokomotiv Moscow. He had also played for Spanish outfit Sporting Gijon. 

Kosolapov brought a quality that afforded Maccabi the opportunity to upgrade its attacking unit. It was a much-needed boost during a period when the club was struggling for success. He joined forces with other outstanding players such as Andrzej Kubica and Michael Emenalo.

After the disappointments of the mid-1990s, the midfielder and his colleagues led Maccabi to a relatively successful season in 1998-99 when they displayed some good football that earned them a second-place finish behind champions Hapoel Haifa and to the Toto Cup with a 2-1 extra time win in the final over Beitar Jerusalem.

Kosolapov contributed 10 goals as a central midfielder in 34 appearances. He continued for another season with the club, although 1999-2000 was not one of Maccabi’s best and they ended the season in sixth place in the standings. Kosolapov made 41 appearances for the club but only scored two goals that season and at the end of it he returned to Lokomotiv Moscow and eventually wound up his career in the middle of the first decade of this century with Astana and Aktobe in Kazakhstan.

Even though Maccabi’s 1999-2000 season was disappointing, one of the most memorable moments was Kosolapov’s goal in the Derby in the 23rd round of the league when Maccabi hosted Hapoel at Ramat Gan Stadium. Hapoel were far better placed to bid for the league title, but that didn’t stop Kosolapov from scoring a memorable late headed goal on the way to a famous 2-0 win.