After a three week summer break, Maccabi Tel Aviv returned to the pitch on Wednesday. Although there is still plenty of time until the first match, Vladimir Ivic’s squad gathered at the PenguinPickUp Training Ground at Kiryat Shalom for the first training session of the 2019/20 season.

Matan Hozez, Matan Baltaxa, Eden Kartzev, Noam Cohen and keeper Omer Kats took part in the session after returning from loan. In addition, the Champions were able to try out the brand new FILA Training Collection for the first time of the new campaign.

Sheran Yeini, Dor Peretz, Dan Glezer, Elyon Almog who were with the Israel National Team will join the club shortly during the preparations for the upcoming season.

Tomorrow, Thursday, the club will head to Holland for their training camp. We will be following Coach Ivic’s squad as they get ready for the challenges ahead so make sure you keep posted to the Official Website, App and all of Maccabi’s Social Media Networks for the latest news and views.

Who will be Maccabi Tel Aviv’s first European opponent this season? After winning the Israeli League championship the Yellow & Blue were drawn on Wednesday to face the winner of the first round qualifying match between Astana of Kazakhstan or Cluj from Romania. As of now the first leg will be played away, however, UEFA will determine the official and final dates of the two legged tie.

Maccabi will be part of the “Champions Route” where they along with 19 other teams will be drawn against each other. The Yellow & Blue have 16.00 points in the UEFA coefficient but will not be ranked which means they should be drawn against a stronger club, at least on paper.

The first leg of second round matches will take place July 23-24 while the return leg will be played the following week. The draw itself will occur on June 18, 2019.

In order to advance to the Champions League, Maccabi will need to advance past the second, third and playoff rounds. Should the Yellow & Blue not advance past the second round they will enter the third round of Europa League qualifying.

Know your potential opponents

Astana
Maccabi is familiar with Astana after meeting the Kazakhstan side in the 2017/18 Europa League Group Stages. The Yellow & Blue fell twice including the away match which was held on artificial turf. Striker Junior Kabananga who starred in the two legged tie was sold to a club in the Saudi league but has since returned on loan back to Astana. Left defensive back Dmitri Shmoko and Marin Tomasov both impressed against Maccabi are still plying their trade with the Kazakhstan squad while Patrick Twumasi has been replaced by Rangelo Janga. Astana has also changed coaches since last playing the Yellow & Blue and are now led by Ukrainian Roman Hryhorchuk who took over in the summer of 2018.

Astana are currently in the middle of their domestic league and after 16 Matchdays are at the top of the table with a 3-point lead over second place side Tobol but have also played two more matches than their closest rival.

Cluj
There is a familiar face playing for Cluj in one Ovidiu Hoban who had appeared for Hapoel Beer Sheva. Dan Petrescu is the Head Coach and arrived at the Romanian outfit in 2017/18 after primarily featuring as a boss of Asian clubs and won the league title. If the name Petrescu is familiar then you may remember when he played in Italy and England, featuring for Chelsea between 1995-2000.

George Țucudean is the main threat up front having scored 16 goals in 23 league matches and led the league in goals. In addition, Cluj recorded 18 clean sheets with Lithuanian keeper Giedrius Arlauskis and right back Cristian Manea being two of the main reasons.

Cluj battled FCSB Steaua București for the league championship which resulted in a photo finish as Cluj won the title by just two points. Just like Maccabi, Petrescu’s club hasn’t yet begun their season.

This will be the first time Maccabi will take part in Champions League qualification after three years. Last time, the Yellow & Blue advanced to play in the Group Stages of the competition after defeating Hibernians (Malta), Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic) an Basel (Switzerland) in the qualifying rounds.

After being selected the Player of the Season this past campaign, Dor Micha who took part in the brand new kit launch took advantage of the opportunity to look ahead to the upcoming season:

“We’re excited just like every season has excitement. But especially this year as we have Champions League qualifiers and we will be coming into the season in full force. It’s good that there is quiet. For the first time in many years we are continuing with the same professional staff. This is positive and something that will be good for us. On a personal level I had a good season and I want to improve and play even better in order to take another step in my career.”

The new season is here and on Tuesday Maccabi Tel Aviv together with FILA unveiled the 2019/20 Kit at a special launch event at FACTORY 54 by the Tel Aviv Port.

Maccabi players Dor Micha, Eliran Atar, Itay Shechter, Shahar Piven, Omer Atzili and Maor Kandil modeled the three new Kits that the club will appear in this coming campaign.

In addition to the players, a number of celebrities were also on hand to view the new collection including reality star Liron “Tiltil” Urpali, Asaf Goren along with Yosiel Neaman, musician Shaked Komemy, Regev Hod and Peter Roth.

Maccabi Tel Aviv CEO Ben Mansford spoke about the event: “I want to give a big thanks to Yossi Irani and everyone involved in this wonderful event. At Maccabi we are always striving to be the first and to be the market leader in all that we do and I believe the collaboration with FILA is a signal as to exactly how we want to be. If you look at FILA, they are an iconic brand that is prestigious and respected around the world. We are excited and believe that they will be a long term partner.”

Yossi Irani, owner of the Irani Group explained: “This is an event which is very important for our company. Last year I was at a FILA event and I met the President of FILA who unfortunately passed away. I asked him what he could do for Israel and Maccabi Tel Aviv and as a warm Jew he understood the meaning of my request. He told me to bring Maccabi Tel Aviv and this is like a dream for us. I brought the developments back from FILA to Maccabi and the story went from there and now here we are.”

“This is a brand that has tremendous international momentum and we are happy with the collaboration. We are certain that it will last for at least a few years and will be positive for both FILA and Maccabi Tel Aviv. ”

With the Championship Plate in the Trophy Case, a powerful and proven team on the pitch and an uncompromising commitment to excellence in every field, Maccabi Tel Aviv continues to raise the bar for the upcoming 2019/20 season. The leading Israeli football club is proud to join FILA, one of the most sought after fashion brands in the world to launch the official new Kit for the new campaign.

This season will see Maccabi’s Home Kit feature one of the iconic designs in the club’s history. The Yellow & Blue checkers, which pierced the hearts of the supporters following the smashing success of the 1995/96 historical season will now be a part of the club’s new and intriguing chapter.

In addition, the fans have developed a growing expectation over the years for a specific design which has been mentioned time and time again. This season we can declare that FILA lifted the gauntlet with the design of the Away Kit and the wait is finally over.

They are joined by a 3rd Kit that draws a strong inspiration from the world of FILA. The Kit features golden stripes on a white background along with a collar and buttons which connects the Maccabi players and the fans to the unique line and style of the brand.

A great amount of thought was invested in the aspect of the design as the official Kits will also combine high quality standards and advanced technology. One of the key additions is the quick sweat-evaporation technology which will aid the players as they push themselves to optimum performance and also allow the fans to enjoy maximum comfort offered by the new Kit.

Of course this is just the beginning. The launch of the brand new collection is just the opening for the collaboration between Maccabi and FILA, who in recent years has established itself as a popular and trendy brand among the leaders of the fashion world.

As part of the cooperation, additional Maccabi clothing and accessories will also be influenced by FILA’s style – all for the benefit of the players and fans of the champion. That’s exactly why the 2019/20 collection’s slogan is: FEEL LIKE A CHAMPION.

 

 

 

The offseason is still in full swing but Maccabi Tel Aviv is preparing for the 2019/20 season in earnest. Over the upcoming weeks the club will be busy on a number of fronts and we’re here to let you know what’s waiting for the Champions

Opening the season with the Official Kit Launch
One of the most exciting events to begin the new campaign is the club’s Official Kit Launch. This season, Maccabi has joined forces with FILA, one of the leading fashion designers in the world and we can assure you that there is something special in the offing. The Official Kit will be unveiled at a celebratory event on June 17th and you’ll be able to purchase the Kit via the Official Club Stores and the club’s Online Shop.

The players return to the pitch
After enjoying the summer break, the Yellow & Blue players will officially begin training on June 19th. On June 20th the team will head out to Holland for an 11 day training camp as Head Coach Vladimir Ivic will get his first look at his side for the upcoming campaign.

The squad will also have a second training camp between July 7-15 which will also take place in Holland. The camp will include preseason friendlies ahead of the important tasks at hand as Maccabi Tel Aviv readies for the season.

You will be able to follow all of the action from the preseason on the Official Website, App and all of the club’s social media networks.

Champions League Qualification Draw
Just before heading to the training camp, Maccabi will find out who they will face in their first couple of Champions League qualification rounds when the draw takes place on June 18th. The Yellow & Blue will begin their journey in the second round with the first match slated for July 23/24 while the return leg will take place a week later.

Before the first European contest, Maccabi will play Bnei Yehuda in the Champions Cup kicking off the 2019/20 season. Vladimir Ivic’s squad will look to capture the first title of the campaign as the winner advances to the Toto Cup Semifinal.

Transfer Window
Every supporter can’t wait for the summer as well as the transfer window which goes together with it. If you want to be the first to know the latest news and views make sure to download the Official App. Don’t forget to allow for push notifications in your settings so you’re up to date.