Ruslan Barsky, who just signed a new 4-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv is ready for Thursday’s Europa League qualifying contest against Pyunik:

Also on the Website:
Ivic: “I am positive and believe in my players”

“We are home at our stadium and with our fans with one goal, to advance to the next stage.”

About the first leg:
“Pyunik was a very tough team and in the first leg they knew how to play against us. The 1:1 draw wasn’t the greatest result for us but it isn’t terrible. We will come into the match and press from the first minute at our home stadium in order to take the lead as quickly as possible.”

Taking advantage of opportunities:
“We had chances in Armenia but we couldn’t take advantage of our opportunities. I am sure that we will do much better tomorrow.”

Returning to the Yellow & Blue:
“It’s a great feeling to be back at Maccabi Tel Aviv and a part of the team that I grew up in along with a number of other players. I will continue to work hard.”

Focussing on doing the best:
“Once I returned to Maccabi, I never really thought about anything else and I focussed just on being here. I didn’t think about my future what was going to be, I am focussed to make sure that I would do my best here.”

Improving on loan:
“I think that the loan helped me and it gave me the chance to improve as each season went by. I was able to come back to the team as a much better player.”

Vladimir Ivic, the Maccabi Tel Aviv Head Coach addressed the assembled media at the prematch press conference ahead of Thursday’s (20:30 Israel time) return leg against Pyunik from Armenia at the Netanya Stadium in the Third Qualifying Round of the Europa League:

“Our target from the first day was to improve the team and up until now we have played 6 matches, 5 in Europe and one in the Toto Cup. After each match we look back, review and discuss things to see what needs to be improved and what needs to be continued. We didn’t do well with some of our chances and passing game last match and we tried to fix that over the past 7-8 days. I am positive and believe in my players that it will be ok tomorrow.”

Creating chances and scoring:
“We are just at the beginning of the season and we have to create chances. If we don’t create chances then it would be a problems for me. When we create then the team works. Our attack begins with the keeper and the defending starts with the striker. We need to take advantage of the chances that we have. It’s just the beginning of the season and we have quality players. We will be able to fix it.”

Availability status of the players:
“All of the players are ok and can play tomorrow.”

About the strikers:
“I am happy with all of them as they work hard and are professional. They all try hard to be in the lineup and they are all positives guys. Every striker goes through a period of time when they can’t finish. Everyone in football understands that. I hope that they start to score as they are working hard. I am satisfied with all of them.”

“I received an anonymous call from Maccabi, and when Maccabi comes calling you don’t ask any questions, you go!”

The Maccabi Tel Aviv Blue Kit for the 2018/19 Season is here and it’s all about the fans. This is the second consecutive season that the Club has developed, designed and manufactured a unique and high quality sports wear line. The kits are tailored to the needs of the Club’s players and fans and present a perfect blend of design, advanced technology and uncompromising comfort. All this in order to give the players and fans a perfect sporting experience.

This season, the Away Kit’s new design combined striped royal blue, dark blue and gold with the Club’s emblem right next to the heart and Fear None, Respect All written on the back.

100% Maccabi
As part of the unique launch of the Kit, 15 of the Club’s fans unveiled the shirt on their social networks in a process that saw the campaign go viral amongst all of the Yellow & Blue supporters. These same fans were phoned up by the Club and asked to come to a photo shoot without knowing which campaign they were taking part in. When they arrived on the set, they were shown the brand new Blue Kit and were told about their important role in its launch.

The Kit was unveiled by the fans first, long before the Club’s official announcement as an integral part of the 100% Maccabi campaign concept that is part of the Club, players and fans with was launched at the start of the season.

Do you want to see the reactions of the fans when they saw the Kit for the first time on the set of the photo shoot? Check out the video clip below:

Click here to purchase the New Blue Kit

Maccabi Tel Aviv will host Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Toto Cup Semifinal on Sunday August 19th at 21:00. The match will take place at the Netanya Stadium and tickets will go on sale today, Tuesday August 14th at 18:00 via the Leaan Website with priority being given to 2018/19 Season Ticket Holders. On Wednesday, tickets will go on sale via the Leaan Ticket Office and by Telephone.

Season Ticket Holders will have priority to purchase tickets until Friday August 17th at 12:00 after which should tickets remain, sales will open up to the general public.

Tickets are on sale via the Leaan Ticket Office located at 42 Frishman Street, Tel Aviv, telephone *8780 and via the Leaan Website.

Ticket Prices
Sections available: Upper East Stand (unreserved), Lower East Stand (Reserved), E+ (Reserved), West Stand (Sections 106-109 Reserved), Silver Section (Reserved)
* Tickets are not included in the Season Ticket package
* Each season ticket may purchase one ticket
* Print at Home is available

Ticket Prices Leaan Ticket Office
Upper & Lower East/West Stands – 55 NIS
E+ – 150 NIS
Silver Section – 300 NIS

Ticket Prices Phone/Leaan Website
Upper & Lower East/West Stands – 60 NIS
E+ – 155 NIS
Silver Section – 305 NIS

Ticket Collection
Tickets may be collected at the Leaan Ticket Office located at 42 Frishman Street 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.

Ruslan Barsky, a product of Maccabi’s Youth Department returned to the club this summer having spent the past six seasons on loan at Bnei Yehuda, Maccabi Kabilio Jaffa, Hapoel Jerusalem, Beitar Tel Aviv Ramle and Hapoel Haifa for which he won the State Cup last season.

Barsky, told the club’s official website: “I am delighted to have signed a new contract at the club I grew up and was educated at. I went through quite a journey in order to return to Maccabi Tel Aviv through the front door. I would like to express my gratitude to the coaching staff and management from expressing faith in me and will do everything in order to justify that faith”.

Maccabi’s CEO, Ben Mansford, added: “As much as I am pleased with the new signings, what has given me equal pleasure is the Academy graduates who have returned as Premier League players and who constantly show their commitment to our club. Ruslan had to overcome a serious injury at an early age and has come back stronger and developed through the loan system. After been a significant part of Hapoel Haifa’s success last season, Ruslan has gone to another level this pre-season. This new and long term contract is a recognition of not only his ability but also of how hard work and desire get rewards”. 

Barsky, who captained Maccabi’s Youth Team which won the League and Cup double back in 2010/11 season together with Dor Micha, made his senior debut on August 19^th 2012 in a Toto Cup match against Maccabi Netanya. Barsky then joined Bnei Yehuda on loan but after making 5 appearances suffered an injury which side-lined him for the rest of the season. In order to resurrect his career, Barsky joined Maccabi Kabilio Jaffa where he made 30 appearances for the third division side in 2013/14 season alongside Maor Kandil. The following season, Barsky climbed a division and joined Hapoel Jerusalem for which he made 38 appearances in Israel’s second tier. In 2015/16 Barsky joined Beitar Tel Aviv Ramle where he scored his debut senior goal on the way to a total of seven and 82 appearances over a two-year-loan-spell. The talented midfielder, marked his return to the top flight as the 2017/18 season he spent on loan at Hapoel Haifa culminated with 2 goals in 43 appearances and State Cup winners medal.

This week 26 years ago, Maccabi Tel Aviv made history. Just a few months after winning the 1991/92 league title, the Yellow & Blue became the first Israeli to play in a European competition after the country officially joined UEFA. The Head Coach at the time was Avram Grant who led the way in 1992/93 Champions League qualifying and played Valletta from Malta in the historic tie. Of course, this is the answer to one of the most legendary trivia questions in the Club’s history, “Who was Maccabi’s first opponent in a UEFA competition?” Let’s take a look back at what happened over a quarter century ago: