Vladimir Ivic, the Maccabi Tel Aviv Head Coach addressed the media following his squad’s 1:0 defeat to Cluj in first leg second round Champions League qualifying action:

 

“I believe it was a tough and strong game with a lot of duels and not a lot of chances. Cluj had one good chance on a set piece and our defender made a mistake. If someone wouldn’t have made a mistake then no one would have scored.”

About the match that was:
“I can be satisfied with our play in our first official game this season but not with the result. We showed that we can get a good result in the second game and move into the next stage of the Champions League.”

Believing in the players:
“I don’t think that there are any favorites, we saw that the game was 50/50. I agree that it was a good result for Cluj wining 1:0 in a home game, but I believe in my players that we can do it.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv visited Cluj in first leg second round Champions League qualifying and fell 1:0 on a first half goal by Billel Omrani. The decisive second leg will take place next Tuesday at the Netanya Stadium as they will look to erase the Romanians advantage and advance to the third round where either Celtic or Kalju will be waiting.

Head Coach Vladimir Ivic’s Starting XI included keeper Andres Gianniotis, Maor Kandil, Shahar Piven, Jair Amador, Ophir Davidzada, Yonatan Cohen, Dor Peretz, Dan Glezer, Avi Rikan, Chico Odoedu, Itay Shechter.

First Half
Cluj pressed Maccabi over the first few minutes of the match but other than a long distance attempt, the Yellow & Blue goal wasn’t threatened. Ivic’s side then began to attack down the wings and came up empty.

In the 19’ Rikan’s shot was saved by Giedrus Arlauskis, the Cluj keeper, but 3 minutes later the hosts found the back of the goal as Billel Omrani headed home the ball thanks to a cross off a short corner for a 1:0 lead.

Kandil and Rikan both came close to drawing Maccabi even, while at the other end of the pitch Omrani almost doubled the Cluj advantage but his chance went off the post. Ofoedu had a brilliant chance just outside of the box but his laser just cleared the bar as the Romanians took the slight advantage into the break.

Second Half
Cluj began the half with the identical corner that they had scored their goal on but came up short in their efforts this time around while the hosts almost added a second goal but Gianniotis made the deflection to send Damjan Dokovic’s ball to safety.

In the 55’ Dor Micha was introduced in favor of Cohen and 8 minutes later Ofoedu stole the ball and took a smart shot from 17 meters but cleared the bar. Nick Blackman came on for Ofoedu in the 67’ to freshen up the attack and Micha and Kandil teamed up for a quality chance in the box two minutes later but their opportunity came up short.

Micha continued to look for opportunities to get the ball to Blackman and Shechter but just missed them by centimeters. Kandil was booked with a yellow card in the 80’ and three minutes later Eliran Atar was introduced for Shechter as Maccabi couldn’t find the back of the Cluj goal, falling 1:0 in the first leg.

Ron Asherov a Maccabi Tel Aviv supporter has been on a bicycle tour across Europe over the past month. When found out that the Yellow & Blue were playing Cluj just this last week and the match was going to take place in Romania a few hundred kilometers from Hungary he quickly found himself in a dilemma. As a dedicated and loyal fan who has followed Maccabi throughout the continent, how was he going to make it to the match? However, this was quickly solved.

A week of strenuous riding didn’t deter Asherov, who quickly turned his bike around and changed his route in order to make it to Cluj in definitely an unusual manner. Just moments before he’ll get to see Maccabi in Champions League qualifying, Asherov told us about his trip, his love for the Yellow & Blue and also received a surprise from the Club’s CEO Ben Mansford.

“Last year when I was here in the middle of the World Cup, Maccabi was drawn to play Ferencvaros and I had to go and see them play. This year, my bicycle brought me here. I’ve been on a bicycle tour for about a month and a half which began in Greece, we made our way to the Balkans and finally to Hungary. I was close to the point where I was supposed to make a left which was the original plan that would take me to Zagreb and if I decided to make a right I would head to Romania. I pitched my tent and then found out that Maccabi was going to play in Cluj in just a week. I realized that I could make it to the match and when I had to make a choice, it was an easy one. I rode for about a week, over 100km each day and now I’m in Cluj waiting for the match to begin. In total, I rode for about 3500km and the match made a for a terrific route.”

His unique hobby along the way:
“I collect football shirts that are Yellow & Blue. Over the past month I’ve been able to acquire 6-7 shirts. One is from a team in central Greece and I also found someone who I told that I was a Maccabi fan. A have another shirt from a small tam in Albania as well as Italy. Plus I purchased one in Kosovo of the National Team. I chose number 7 because of Eran Zahavi and Omer Atzili, two of my favorite Maccabi players. I have another shirt which is fantastic. It’s from a small village in western Romania. I saw the shirt at a match and I went across the village to organize a meeting with the coach from a team from the 5th division. He gave me the shirt as a gift and it was a XXL match shirt.”

Meeting Ben:
“Congratulations for your fantastic efforts. As an appreciation of your efforts we have a reward for you with a twist, a shirt from the cycling world (Chris Froome). You certainly deserve compliments and I am sure that with Vladen (Ivic) the players will also invest a similar effort. We are expecting a tough match and everyone is ready after two tough training camps, although nothing like you have done. We hope will now see it on the pitch.”

Itay Shechter, the Maccabi Tel Aviv striker looked ahead to Wednesday night’s first leg second round Champions League qualifying at the prematch press conference:

 

“The Romanian team is very strong as they are the league champions. They are both very organized and experienced and their attackers can be very dangerous. We need to come into the match very well prepared.”

Romanian heritage:
“My father is Romanian and my grandparents were born here in Romania. It’s coming back to my roots. My family isn’t here with me and they will watch from their home.”

About Cluj:
“We saw both matches between Cluj and Astana. We know that Cluj is a very strong team at home and they did a very good job. We will have to be ready bring back the best possible result.”

More about the Romanian side:
“Cluj have a number of dangerous players up front including the striker and left winger. They have a very experienced midfield and they are just strong in general.”

The two legged tie ahead:
“In these types of matches there is no real advantage of playing the first or second contest at home. We have to be ready every single minute of the game because both sides are very even and whoever makes mistake may pay for it by not advancing. We have to make sure we are prepared to play from the first minute here until the last in Israel.”

Vladimir Ivic, the Maccabi Tel Aviv Head Coach took part in the prematch press conference ahead of the Wednesday night’s first leg second round Champions League qualifier:

“This will be a tough game and we are playing against a good opponent who have played 5-6 official games. We will prepare ourselves to give our best and take a good result which for us is a victory.”

Preparing for Cluj:
“My job is to watch the games and prepare for the next game, I have seen a number of their games. They are an organized team that know what they want during the game and we are prepared for this. We will give our best and fight to win the game.”

Playing the second match at home:
“Sometimes playing the second leg at home has advantages but sometimes not. I am not someone who prefers to play the first game home or away. Our philosophy is to prepare game by game and it doesn’t matter where you play, away or home. We are together for a bit over a year and we have the same target each and every game.”

Having many Maccabi players on the Israel National Team:
“We have the most players in the Israel National Team and we have the players of the highest quality from throughout the Israel league at this moment. Our goal is to have even more players from Maccabi in the National team which means that we are pretty good.”

About the Starting XI:
“We didn’t use a different team, but the team which was the best at that moment and for that specific game. It was our first official game domestically and tomorrow will be our first official game in Europe. We will prepare tactically for a very tough opponent in front of us who is very organized and knows what they want in each segment of the game. It will be an interesting game and I hope we will win.”

Three seasons we’ve waited for this moment and now it’s here. League Champion Maccacbi Tel Aviv FC is excited to announce the start of season ticket sales for the 2019/20 season at the new Bloomfield Stadium. The sale will begin with 2018/19 season ticket subscribers which will then be followed by FOREVER members and should seats remain the sale will then be open for the general public.

 

You haven’t joined FOREVER yet? Click here Now!

Season ticket sale dates:

 28/7-9/8: Season ticket renewals for 2019/20

12/8-18/8: FOREVER Member Season ticket sales

Season tickets will go on sale to the general public should seats remain

Please note! A supporter who wants to renew or purchase season tickets must become a member of FOREVER the official supporters club of Maccabi Tel Aviv. You haven’t joined FOREVER yet? Click here Now!

Season Ticket Renewal for the 2019/20 Season

Season ticket subscribers from last season (including sections 2/13) can begin renewing their season tickets beginning on Sunday 28/07 at 10:00 until August 9 at 12:00

Season ticket renewals for the West Stand (2/13, Gold Section, Silver Section)

Gates 2 and 13 maintained the same structure in the new stadium. For this reason, Gates 2/13 subscribers were already allocated similar seats to those from the 15/16 season.

These season ticket subscribers can already renew their tickets as of July 24 at 10:00. Click here to renewal your Season Ticket for gates 2 and 13

Should a subscriber in 2/13 want to select a different location they can do so beginning on July 28th.

Priority for FOREVER Club Members

FOREVER Club Members can take advantage of their benefit of priority purchasing of a season ticket beginning on August 12 up until August 18 and also save 5%!

You haven’t joined FOREVER yet? Click here Now and you’ll get Even More Maccabi!

Season Ticket sales to the general public should tickets remain

 

The club wants to clarify that season tickets for the club’s matches at Bloomfield Stadium for the upcoming 19/20 season is subject to its use by the managing company that handles the matches themselves for the upcoming Ligat Bursa season. An explanation of the possible alternatives in the event that Bloomfield Stadium is not ready to host matches is available via the following link

Your seat location may change due to the actual final layout of the stadium (the map is based on the engineers’ map of the stadium and subsequent changes may occur)

Renewing you season ticket and would like to add a family member or friend?

Any subscriber from the 2018/19 season may add a family member / friend who will sit next to them under the following conditions:The subscriber added must be a FOREVER member

 – The benefit is conditional on sitting together in the stadium.

 – This benefit can be redeemed in the following locations:

– West: blocks 303, 307 starting from row 35 and above. Blocks 302,308 Starting from row 32. The rest of the blocks in the west where there are unoccupied seats.

– East: blocks 424-426 from row 40. The rest of the blocks on the East Stand on the basis of available space (except blocks 324-326)

How can I renew my subscription?

Recommended! The Season Ticket Subscriber Area on the website – The easiest and fastest way to renew and purchase subscriptions. Make sure you have your user name and password available at the time of purchase

subscription renewal In person at Menorah Mivtachim Arena / Delta shop (near Gate 11) – beginning on 28.07 (Gate 2/13 renewals beginning 24.07) You must schedule an appointment before arrival. A supporter without an appointment will not receive service!

To schedule an appointment click here 

Leaan Call center *8780 – Weekdays 09:00 to 17:00. Friday 09:00 to 13:30.

Please Note! In light of the high volume expected at the call center, we recommend that you use the other points of sale that are available, especially the Leaan website via the personal area.

For any further questions, please visit the FAQ page.

To view the rules and regulations as well as ticket conditions click here

After winning the Champions Cup this past weekend, Maccabi Tel Aviv will begin their European campaign as they flew to Romania this morning where they will meet Cluj in first leg second round Champions League qualifying action on Wednesday (21:00).

All of the latest updates from Cluj over the next couple of days can be found right here in the Official Website as well as the club’s social networks.

The players and professional staff assembled at the PenguinPickUp Training Facility at Kiryat Shalom as they then made their way to Ben Gurion Airport for their flight to Romania. Nick Blackman, who is beginning his second term with the Yellow & Blue spoke about the upcoming clash against Cluj:

This evening the club will hold the final training session at the Constantin Rădulescu Stadium along with the prematch press conference.

Maccabi Tel Aviv will host Cluj of Romania in the 2nd leg of second round Champions League qualifying on July 30th at the Netanya Stadium at 20:00. Tickets go on sale on Monday evening at 19:00 with priority to 2018/19 season ticket holders until Wednesday July 23rd at 18:00 at which time the purchase of tickets will be open to the general public (should tickets remain).

Tickets are on sale at the Leaan Ticket Agency at their office located at 42 Frishman Street, Tel Aviv, Telephone *8780 or via the Leaan Website and the Maccabi Tel Aviv website.

Please note: Fans who join Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Official Supporters Club FOREVER Plus by 17:00 on Monday July 22nd will receive a coupon code to receive a free ticket to the match which can be redeemed via the Leaan Website. Those who join FOREVER Plus after 17:00 will receive a coupon code in the upcoming days.

Fans who were not season ticket subscribers during the 2018/19 season may redeem the coupon once the sale is open to the general public.

Ticket Prices
* It’s recommended to select Home Printing
* The advance ticket price will be less than on matchday
* Upper East Section – Unreserved, Lower East Section – Reserved, West 106-109 Reserved.

Leaan Ticket Office, Telephone, Website – 65 NIS
Matchday at the stadium box office – 70 NIS

Silver Section
Leaan Ticket Office, Telephone, Website – 150 NIS
Matchday at the stadium box office – 200 NIS

Ticket Collection
Tickets may be collected at the Leaan Ticket Office located at 42 Frishman Street, Tel Aviv between Sunday-Thursday 09:00-19:00, Friday 09:00-13:30.

Tickets may be collected on Matchday at the Stadium ticket windows beginning 3 hours prior to the match until 45 minutes after the start of the match.

Maccabi Tel Aviv will face Cluj on Wednesday in the first leg of the Champions League second round. However, even before the contest, the Yellow & Blue found out that they will play the winner of the second round tie between Celtic and Nomme Kalju should they advance to the third round.

The following were the clubs that Maccabi could have been drawn against.
Ajax (Holland)
The winner of the following ties:
Celtic (Scotland) – Kalju (Estonia)
Kopenhagen (Denmark) – TNS (Wales)
Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) – Saburtalo (Georgia)
Bate Borisov (Belarus) – Rosenborg (Norway)
APOEL (Cyprus) – Sutjeska (Montenegro)

In addition, should Maccabi not advance over Cluj they will play the winner of the tie between Tre Penne (San Marino) – Sudova (Lithuania) in the third round of Europa League qualifying.

The other options could have been as follows:
Piast (Poland) – Riga (Latvia)
Ararat-Armenia (Armenia) – Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar)
Valur (Iceland) – Ludogorets (Bulgaria)