Preview

Maccabi returned to Bloomfield stadium for the first time since May 25th when they secured the league title for the 26th time in the club’s history. As the league champions, Zarko Lazetic’s side host last season’s State Cup winners Hapoel Be’ersheva for the Super Cup that opens the 2025/26 campaign. Maccabi’s Head Coach, Zarko Lazetic, named one debutant of his six new signings in the starting line-up as goalkeeper Yoav Gerafi was handed his first official start in a Maccabi shirt. Raz Shlomo and Nemanja Stojic teamed up to continue their partnership as the two central defenders in front of the 31-year-old keeper. Tyrese Asante on the right and Roy Revivo on the left, completed Maccabi’s defensive line.

Issouf Sissokho started in the anchorman role supported by Ido Shahar who joined the Mali midfielder in the engine room. Starting his 11th season with the senior side, Dor Peretz completed Maccabi’s midfield trio as he also led the team with the captain’s armband. Weslley Patati who switched to wear the number 10 shirt this season was named by Lazetic on one wing with Osher Davida on the opposite flank. Dor Turgeman, led the line as the 21-year-old who scored 19 goals in all competitions last season, received the nod with new signing Ion Nicolaescu waiting for his chance on the bench.

As his substitutes for the match Lazetic named goalkeeper Ofek Melika, Sagiv Jehezkel, Denny Gropper, Elad Madmon, Henry Addo, Ben Lederman, Itamar Noy, Itay Ben Hemo, Ion Nicolaescu. 

Prior to kickoff former Maccabi player Ofir Davidzada who left the club in the summer to join Beersheva after 8 years, was presented with a framed shirt as a tribute to winning 13 trophies at Maccabi

First Half

After a nervous 10 minutes Weslley Patati burst down the left flank and was charged down by Roy Levy whi was consequently booked. Be’ersheva managed to clear Patati’s free kick which was crossed into the area but four minutes later the visitors took the lead. Eliel Peretz picked the ball deep inside Maccabi’s half before blasting a right foot shot that deflected off Raz Shlomo’s back to beat Yoav Gerafi. Two minutes later however Be’ersheva were reduced to 10 men as dismissed for a second bookable offence after a reckless tackle on Roy Revivo near the halfway line.

In the 20th minute Dor Turgeman’s pressure on Be’ersheva’s defense resulted with Osher Davida sending a toe poke that struck the base of the post. Dor Peretz pounced on the loose ball and teed up Patati who failed to keep his shot down as his effort sailed over the crossbar. Another Patati free kick this time from the right, got Be’ersheva’s defense in all sorts of problems on 26. But neither Peretz nor Revivo could get a touch before Niv Eliasi managed to collect. A minute later Tyrese Asante was booked by referee Gal Levy for a mistimed tackle while Patati was also cautioned right on the half hour mark.

In the 36th minute Maccabi had the ball in the back of the net as a well drilled corner came off Dor Peretz’ knee to strike tbe post before Nemanja Stojic managed to get the ball in. But Maccabi’s celebrations were short-lived as VAR intervened to reverse the initial decision and the goal was disallowed.

Second Half

Both Zarko Lazetic and his counterpart Ran Kuzukh didn’t make any changes after the break as the two sides returned for the second half unchanged. A clever Ido Shahar first touch in the 50th minute released Peretz to a counter attcak but the skippers’ effort from the edge of the area lacked the power it needed to beat Eliasi who plucked it with relative esse.

An unnecessary Revivo foul near the touchline saw Be’ersheva receive a free kick which Biton fired yet Gerafi and the crossbar prevented the ball from heading in. The resulting corner saw another former Maccabi player Matan Baltaxa, send a free header which narrowly cleared the crossbar. Two minutes after the hour mark Maccabi were back on level terms in spectacular fashion as Davida floated a perfect cross which was met by a Patati volley that beat Eliasi to open his account for the season.

A minute later Lazetic made his first change as Ion Nicolaescu was handed his Maccabi debut replacing Shahar. Turgeman came off and was replaced by Sagiv Jehezkel as Lazetic added a fresh pair of legs on 73.

Three minutes later however Be’ersheva restored their lead as Eylon Almog volleyed Zahi Ahmad’s cross past Gerafi to make it 2-1. Revivo and Issouf Sissokho came off on 84 with Elad Madmon and Itamar Noy introduced as the midfielder made his Maccabi debut.

Patati blasted a left foot piledriver from outside the area that Eliasi managed to equal and catch on his line as Maccabi tried desperately to level once again

Ido Oli joins Hapoel Jerusalem after an agreement was reached between the two clubs for a season-long loan deal.

The 19-year-old midfielder who scored 2 league goals in 19 appearances in all competitions during a six-month long loan-spell with Ramat Hasharon last season, will join Hapoel Jerusalem on loan for the 2025/26 campaign.

Oli who made his Israel U21 debut appearance earlier this summer, represented the young national sides at U19, U17 and U16 levels in a total of 25 appearances during which he scored 6 goals.

Good luck Ido!

Anis Porat Ayash and Roy Nawi join Hapoel Haifa on loan after an agreement was reached between the two clubs for a season-long loan deal of the two players.

Porat Ayash (20) will rejoin Hapoel Haifa for the 2025/26 campaign after scoring a goal in 10 appearances during a loan spell at the club in the second part of last season. The winger who joined Maccabi from Bnei Sakhnin earlier this year, is a member of Israel’s U21 squad for which he made 3 appearances and has also 7 appearances and 2 goals for the U19’s young national side.

Nawi (21) will also rejoin Hapoel Haifa for a second loan spell after recovering from the injury which sidelined him since the beginning of the 2024/25 season. Nawi who made 5 appearances for Haifa last term, has 4 appearances for Israel’s U21’s and an additional total of 25 international appearances at U20, U19 and U18 level.

Good luck Anis and Roy.

 

Yehoda Belay joins Hapoel Petah Tikva after an agreement was reached between the two clubs for a season-long loan deal.

The 19-year-old winger scored 11 goals in 20 appearances for Maccabi’s Youth team last season before joining Ramat Hasharon in January where he made 7 appearances and scoring 1 goal.

Belay who scored 2 goals in 17 international appearances for Israel’s U19’s national side, will join the newly promoted side on loan for the 2025/26 campaign.

Good luck Yehoda

At the age of 30 Maccabi’s captain Dor Peretz is starting his 11th season in Yellow and Blue. Peretz who last season scored 18 goals in 52 appearances to win the Player of the Season award, also helped the team win three domestic trophies: the Super Cup, Toto Cup and League Championship. On Sunday evening, Peretz is set to lead Maccabi out at Bloomfield as the first domestic title will be on offer with last season’s runners up and State Cup winners Hapoel Be’ersheva supplying the opposition.

“Ending the season on a high note just like last season, to win every title, and participate in a European competition and hopefully the most prestigious one.” Peretz said when speaking about his expectations from the forthcoming season. “We are in the early stages of preparation, there are new players, some are returning to the system, so we will start getting ready step by step. It begins with the Super Cup against Hapoel Be’ersheva a very important match for us, it’s for a title and qualification to the Semi Final of the Toto Cup. It is a game between two teams that competed to the end last season. So, we will start with that game and move forward toward our goals.”

On his opinion of the new kit, which was unveiled minutes earlier, Peretz said: “I think they’re very nice. I like them a lot.”

Following the departure of several experienced players, Peretz is by far the most experienced member of the team, as her reflected on the transition in the dressing room: “Factually, it is true. Anchors from last season are currently missing. Hopefully some of them will return, they can help me and the team this year as well. In any case, when there is a void, a gap, it can be filled by new players who can become influential and leaders in this team. We are already working on that, on a new generation, on leaders, on players who will start taking small steps toward leading the team.”

On the fact preparations for the season were disrupted by the war with Iran as the team split between Serbia where the coaching staff and foreign players began training until the Israeli contingent could travel and meet up in Hungary for pre-season, Peretz said: “Honestly, I was in touch with some of them, not extensively. Once I saw them at the training camp, I realized they had returned and that everything was okay, that they were calm and felt safe. I am happy about that.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv and PUMA launched this morning (Thursday) the official kits of the Israeli champions at an exclusive event held which was held at the international fashion giant’s store at the Tel Aviv Port.

The event was attended by Maccabi and PUMA management, members of Maccabi’s current team as well as several legendary club alumni, celebrities, top social media influencers, and selected guests, who got a close look at the new collection. The launch video featuring Maccabi’s Team Manager Yoav Ziv and several first team players was also shown during the event, sparking great excitement.

Yossi Irani, owner of the Irani Group, said at the event: “I would like to thank the Maccabi management, the owner Mitch Goldhar, his representative, Jack Angelides, CEO Ben Mansford and the club’s staff. This is a relationship that began six years ago. Maccabi is not only about being successful and winning trophies but also about community work and support to those in need, as we have seen recently. As a company, beyond striving for excellence, we always aim to give back to the community. This partnership with Maccabi is very important to us as it is amazing from our perspective, and we are happy and hopeful it will continue for many more years. PUMA is an international brand that has made a huge commitment, not only a financial one but also in terms of design at the level of major clubs like Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Manchester City – as Maccabi’s kit is on par with theirs. Yalla Maccabi!”

Maccabi’s Owner’s representative Jack Angelides, spoke just before the new kits were unveiled and referred to the collaboration with Yossi Irani and the Irani Group: “We have been working together since 2017 and it really has felt that Yossi has been part of the family since then. He is the kind of person who has always gone out of his way to help to find solutions when issues arise, and a lot of people in our club have felt that. And that is really appreciated and is partnership in the real sense of the word and something we greatly value and Mitch greatly values also. So, thank you very much. We are excited, actually very excited to begin this partnership and alignment with PUMA. I don’t really have to say too much as it is a company that has been with clubs such as Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, and us being part of this family is really very exciting. The most important for us is to have many many successful years wearing our PUMA shirts and making sure that our fans, our sponsors, all our staff, the community is proud that we represent Israel abroad also.”

We are excited, and surely, so are you. The 2025/26 season is just around the corner, and now the new and extensive partnership between Maccabi and global sports powerhouse PUMA brings you the official kit collection of Israel’s champions.

Watch the launch video: Maccabi’s new kits

Maccabi & PUMA: In the big boys’ league

The 2025/26 kits were designed through close collaboration between the Club and PUMA, focusing on player comfort, optimal performance, and of course, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s unique visual identity.

We are proud to join PUMA’s global family of elite clubs, including prestigious teams such as Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, and top National teams like Portugal. This partnership highlights the Club’s standing as a leader in Israeli football and reflects our ongoing commitment to excellence in all areas of activity.

Classic, innovative, and elegant

The forthcoming season’s range includes three official sets, featuring PUMA’s most advanced design technologies:

Home kit: The stripes are back! The new home shirt features a dynamic striped design in Yellow and Blue which combines the club’s traditional colors with a modern, energetic look.

Away kit: A powerful Deep Blue set, with Light Blue stripes and distinctive copper accents, a combination that radiates elegance and strength.

Third kit: Dominated by White with a vertical stripe in shades of blue. A clean and minimalist design, because sometimes, simplicity speaks volumes.

This year, the new kits were revealed at an exclusive launch event held at PUMA’s flagship store at the Tel Aviv port. The event welcomed a select crowd including celebrities, top social media influencers, legendary former players, and other distinguished guests, who had the opportunity to view the collection up close.

The Champion’s kits are available now for purchase at our newly upgraded Online store! This launch marks a fresh chapter in our digital presence, aimed at enhancing your shopping experience and enabling fast and convenient purchases anytime, from anywhere.

And that is not all! We are pleased to announce that our official flagship store at Bloomfield Stadium has also undergone a significant makeover, with a brand-new design, and it’s waiting for you. At the store, you will find the new 2025/26 kit collection, the complete training collection, and a wide selection of high-quality apparel and footwear from PUMA.

FOREVER and FOREVER+ members:

Don’t forget’ you can use the NIS100 voucher you received as a welcome gift to the club in the online store  and enjoy a discount on the new kits and other official Maccabi merchandise.