Category: News

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Statement on FFP Settlement

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Maccabi Tel Aviv FC reached an understanding with the Chamber of the UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) according to which a Settlement Agreement has been concluded which details the parameters agreed between the Club and UEFA to reduce the financial deficit in compliance with the Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations (CLFFP).

The Club has presented a reasonable and realistic long-term financial, operational compliance plan, which was accepted by UEFA. The plan should allow the Club a gradual, monitored, and effective transition whilst maintaining The Club’s ultimate aim of remaining the leading football club in Israel.

The primary purpose of this Settlement Agreement is to ensure the Club is break-even compliant at the earliest opportunity within the meaning of the CLFFP Regulations.

UEFA’s CLFFP Regulations seek to ensure football clubs operate within financial limitations according to which they are required to balance spending with revenues (aggregate Break-Even) and restricts football clubs from accumulating debt which exceeds an accumulated amount of over EUR 30M on a rolling three-year-period.

Financial contribution and withholding of prize money

According to the Settlement Agreement, the Club will have an unconditional fine of EUR 200,000 which will be withheld by UEFA from any prize money due to the Club from UEFA for participating in its’ various competitions.

As part of the Settlement Agreement, the Club will return under the permitted deviation (EUR 30M) by the end of the 2020/2021 season. Financial targets are set for each season and in the event of the Club not meeting those targets, then further penalties could be triggered.

Sporting Measures:

The total number of players the Club will be allowed to register in its ‘A List’ during the 2018/2019 season for the EUROPA League Competition cannot exceed 22 players, instead of the usual 25.

Out-of-contract players, (i.e, free-transfers) and Players returning to the Club from loan-periods, can be registered with the Club for UEFA competitions, as well as new signings, whose transfer fee doesn’t exceed the fees accumulated from the sale of players from the squad.

World Cup Fever is Here: Dor Micha’s Bracket

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Are you counting down the minutes until the opening whistle? Are you trying to figure out who will come out on top of their respective groups and which country will be knocked out in the first stage of the competition? You’re not alone. Just ahead of World Cup 2018, we asked the Maccabi Tel Aviv players to give us their thoughts on this summer’s tournament and we received many differing opinions.

Who went with Neymar? Who thinks that Ronaldo will lift the trophy and who’s counting on Germany to win their second straight World Cup? Dor Micha, Dor Peretz, Avi Rikan and Omer Atzili chose their winners beginning from the Round of 16 all the way to the World Champion.

Let’s begin with Dor Micha.

You can see #15’s World Cup Bracket below. Micha believes in France’s quality but also picked England to make it all the way to the semifinals. He also sees Peru and Costa Rica making it into the Round of 16 while he believes that Poland will appear in the quarterfinals on Belgium’s account.

Why France? “I believe that they have the best squad in the tournament. They have depth and excellent players at every position on the pitch while the draw was in their favor,” Micha said.

Who will be the most valuable player of the tournament? “Antoine Griezmann of France”

Which National Team will you be supporting?
“England. When I was just 6 years old, just before the start of the 1998 World Cup, my father bought me a Michael Owen shirt and ever since I’ve been a fan of theirs.”

Stay tuned as we’ll have another player’s thoughts on the competition tomorrow.

End of Season Tourney at the Yellow & Blue Youth Department

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The 2017/18 season came to close a couple of weeks ago, but training sessions continued up until yesterday as the final Youth Academy session took place together with a special tournament that combined the various age groups of the Department.

The program began with the Under-13 to Under-19 teams in a mixed tournament that included 12 teams with 6-7 players per side featuring a representative from the various age groups. Fifteen minute games were played on 6 pitches at Kiryat Shalom with the winning team awarded the top prize.

After the first tournament, the younger age teams took to the pitches as the 11-13 year olds and the 8-10 year olds also held competitions of their own that also featured teams with mixed ages as the winners taking home some nice prizes.

It was certainly a fine way to end the season and head into the summer break!

Unforgettable Goals: Maccabi’s Greatest Free Kicks

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Maccabi Tel Aviv players have scored thousands of goals over the years. As technology improved, many were filmed and stored, so we dug into the archives, went through the films and at the end of the day we found some of the best of the best that will excite every Yellow & Blue fan.

Over the past few weeks you’ve been able to see the goals we selected on the Official Website and App broken down into various categories. The fifth chapter looks back at some of the greatest free kicks by Ivanir, Zohar and many more. Watch Episode 5:

הבלתי נשכחים: הבעיטות החופשיות הגדולות

Academy Keepers End of Season Seminar

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Just ahead of the summer break, the Youth Academy’s goalkeepers held a special session under the guidance of Israel Ainy. Keepers between the ages of 8-19 took part in the seminar where various important materials were reviewed with the objective of giving more information to the aspiring shot stoppers. The Head of the Goalkeeping Department at the Academy Israel Ainy reviewed the season results and saw how the philosophy of the department impacted the keepers. The other coaches also gave their point of view as to the campaign just before the summer vacation.

Ainy summed up the event: “The symposium focused on some of the professional aspects of being a goalkeeper from the technique and tactical side which included, preventing goals, kicking the ball, building the game beginning with the keeper, adjusting and meeting the high professional standards, the mental side of the game, leadership and coping with pressure.”

Ainy continued discussing his work at the Academy:
“I began working at the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Academy a year and three months ago as my philosophy was in line with that of the Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen and we’ve been able to work hand in hand ever since my arrival.”

Looking ahead:
“Due to the success across the Youth Academy this past season, we’ve set our goals very high to continue advancing the keepers both on an individual and club level. We are looking to continue to achieve new heights with an emphasis on stability.”

NEW ADDITIONS TO THE COACHING AND SUPPORT STAFF

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Maccabi Tel Aviv FC would like to announce the appointments of Milos Veselinovic (Assistant Coach), Christos Kelpekis (Goalkeeping Coach), Darko Obradovic (Fitness Coach) and Nenad Kovacevic (Sport Therapist) as the new members of Vladan Ivic’s coaching and support staff.

Milos Veselinovic, 38, who guided FK Vozdovac to fifth place in the Serbian top flight last season as head coach, returns to work as Ivic’s Assistant Coach, a position he held at PAOK when the Thessaloniki side won the Greek Cup in 2017.

מילוש וסלינוביץ’ | Milos Veselinovic ()

Veselinovic, who previously coached FK Javor Ivanjica, FK Indija, Srem-Sremska Mitrovica, had also several spells at his hometown club Radnicki Obrenovac, where he began his coaching career in the youth department before progressing all the way to coach the senior side. As a player, Veselinovic, had his career cut-short by an injury, but after making his early footballing footsteps at the Red Star academy, he represented Yugoslavia’s young national teams from U15’s to U19’s.

Christos Kelpekis, 44, who was also a member of Ivic’s coaching staff at PAOK for four years both at the Youth Academy and senior side, will join Maccabi as Goalkeeping Coach.

חריסטוס קלפקיס | Christos Kelpekis ()

Kelpekis, who as a goalkeeper represented Greece at U-21 level, previously played for Iraklis Thessaloniki, Anagennisi Giannitsa, Makedonikos Neapolis, Apollon Pontou, PAE Veria and PS Kalamata before retiring in 2013 and began coaching.

דארקו אובראדוביץ’ | Darko Obradovic ()

Darko Obradovic, 45, who began coaching at his hometown club of FC Obilic Belgrade, is joining Maccabi as Fitness Coach, having worked in the past in no less than 7 other countries – FC BSK Borca Belgrade (Serbia), FC Budocnost (Montenegro), Al Ittihad Tripoli (Libya),  FC Changsha Ginde (China), FC Shahrdari Tabriz (Iran), Najran SC (Saudi Arabia), CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria), Litex Lovech (Bulgaria), FC Guizhou Renhe (China), Ittifaq (Saudi Arabia) and FC Vozdovac.

Nenad Kovacevic, 34, joins Maccabi as a Sport Therapist having also worked with Ivic at PAOK where he was Head of the Medical team. Kovacevic, began working at OFK Belgrade as Physiotherapist at a young age and moved on to work for the Serbian FA with the U-16’s, U-21’s and senior national team.

ננאד קובאצ’ביץ’ | Nenad Kovacevic ()

Vladan Ivic told the club’s official website of the new members of the staff: “Milos Veselinovic is a highly regarded coach who worked with me in the past at PAOK and has gained a lot of experience both at clubs in Serbia and the Serbian FA. Christos Kelpekis has been working with me from my first day at PAOK’s Youth Department for 2.5 years and then for 1.5 years in the first team. Darko Obradovic has been a fitness coach for almost 20 years and has gained vast experience all across the world, while Nenad Kovacevic, is a Sports Therapist who worked with me in the past at PAOK and has been extremely successful in Serbia”.

Shura Uvarov, who has been the Goalkeeping Coach of the first team since retiring in 2000 and is a highly valued member of staff – will continue to work at the club helping nurture the next generation of Maccabi Goalkeepers.

“Since joining Maccabi Tel Aviv in 1991 as a goalkeeper and after 18 long and satisfying years, I will be moving away from the day-to-day involvement with the first team keepers. I will not be leaving the club as I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to continue my focus on developing the next generation of Maccabi keepers”.

After the Success: Summing up the season with van Leeuwen

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The second season of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Department under the direction of Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen has come to a close and we sat down with the Dutchman to discuss some of the highlights of the campaign, the successful season had by the clubs and much more. Van Leeuwen also talks about what chances the players have in advancing to the First Team, the goals ahead and the path to success.

This is your second season at the Club. How would you sum up from your point of view this most successful season that saw each age group winning their league title?
“I would sum this season up as a continuation of building the program via our football philosophy. Our starting point was much higher this season than last. After a full campaign where our players were able to get used to the philosophy, they came into the season much better prepared at the beginning of the year. We had an excellent training camp in the Ukraine which included the Under-19, 17 and 16 teams. They all had the opportunity to play against top level European clubs and the chance to see how our squads stacked up to theirs.”

Van Leeuwen continued: “In terms of results, we had a very successful season and each age group from the U15’s to the U19’s won their respective championship. Of course, this will create expectations for the upcoming season and we will have to live up to those standards. The professional staff and management added new things into the regimen in order to strengthen the clubs. We are very satisfied with the final results and how we continued to advance our philosophy across the department. Many of the teams played at a very high level and at the end of the season took home the league championship. It’s not because we demanded that, but because we continued to play football the whole season. I believe that all of the titles won were because of our football philosophy and we have been working very hard on this specific way in order to be successful as well as enjoying the game itself. We attempted to teach the players as much information as we could for each specific age group. This way gives gives clear results and we’re talking about 4 individual teams that were successful following this methodology. Our way of football is based on a specific philosophy and now we have good fundamentals in order to continue our work next season.”

At the beginning of the season there was criticism leveled at the department, the results proved them wrong:
“There was some “noise” outside of Maccabi Tel Aviv. Every place where I had worked in the past be it in the Ukraine or Kazakstan, when you make changes there will always be some people who won’t be happy. The “noise” came from people within the club, some of them finished their time at the club and some left voluntarily. They were the ones who tried to create a little bit of “noise”. They tried to make my personal and Maccabi’s success more difficult. I believe that the youth department coaches and players said their piece with the results that we achieved at the end of the season. If you look at our internal success, there were plenty of players that were invited to the various different Israel National teams. We all worked well together to suppress the “noise” around us. Of course, today the reviews have changed to a pat on the back, good words and the desire to be even more Yellow & Blue.”

Is there a specific model throughout the world or a club that you aspire to be similar to?
“The model which we are using has been put together specifically for Maccabi Tel Aviv. We take advantage of the opportunities we have in training to do the maximum. The advantage we give the coaches is that they receive a tremendous amount of both theoretical and practical information. When our coaches went to educational seminars abroad they were able to see that we are similar to some of the best academies in Europe. However, in terms of our facilities we still have a way to go. In addition, during the two years that I’ve been here, one of the positive things that I’ve seen is that there are many talented footballers in the country, not just at Maccabi Tel Aviv but at other clubs as well.”

In terms of the players in the youth department, there were a number of them from the U19 to the U16 level who trained with the First Team. Do you feel that the homegrown players have a place in the top team?
“At the start of the season, players from the Under-19 squad trained with the First Team as per the coach’s request. During the second half of the season, there were players who were consistently training with the First Team like Tomer Altman. There were additional players from the Under-17 and Under-16 sides that also had the opportunity to train with the First Team for a variety of reasons. I believe that these chances definitely gave the feeling that there is a connection with the First Team and that it’s possible to train with them. The feedback we received about the players was of course very positive, about their passion and desire that they saw. The older players who are closer to the First Team in terms of age, were able to see where they need to improve. At the end of the day, this whole process helps show that there is a path from the youth department to the First Team and that there are opportunities.”

The owner says that his desire is to see the First Team made up of home grown players, how do you see this challenge?
“I believe that every talent deserves a chance. The Under-19 team players showed their quality and deserved the opportunity to train with the First Team. Once they receive that chance, the responsibility is upon themselves to prove that they deserve playing time. I think that it’s possible to have a high percentage of youth department players with the First Team over the next few years. It’s a challenge and I believe that it’s within reach. As a club, it’s important to give these players the opportunity. We must create a culture that there are candidates every season so that they can get a chance. If they don’t succeed, there should be an alternative in the second division, where a number of players can have the opportunity to take the next step together.”

What are the short term and long term goals for the youth department?
“For the foreseeable future, the goal is reinvigorate our football philosophy each season and that should be part of our culture. In the long term, we want to create candidates for the First Team from the Academy and be able to give the coach a number of players who he can test out. Another goal which I hope to be a part of is the whole issue of developing the facilities that we have in the department which can be done in parallel to the football development. If we don’t have the right tools to give that extra football development, then other clubs will be able to close the gap due to better facilities and their football advancement as well. So it’s important for the club, the youth players and coaches that we improve our facilities.”

There have been discussions about developing young players through an Under-21 league or an option for teams to register players up to the age of 21 in the lower leagues. Van Leeuwen believes that this should become reality: “There are examples from Germany, Portugal and Spain that there are other teams that play in the second or third division. For example last season in Portugal, Porto’s second team won the second division championship. There was a similar case in Holland when Ajax won the second league title and there isn’t an option for them to be promoted a league, but they are playing at the highest possible level. This is a wonderful chance for players between the age of 18-21 to play at a high level against professional adult teams.”

About the National Teams:
“The National Teams are good for our players. We have many players who are playing with various age National Teams. The Under-17 team was in the European Championship which is the top of the top. They showed that they have ability but I think that the methodology should be more like a team. The players can’t be influenced just through a week or month of training. The preparations need to be very specific because there is potential and quality in the Israel National Teams and you have to make sure that it’s reflected in this type of tournament. It’s different at a football club as there are more opportunities with the players. I think the Football Association needs to look at how to properly prepare a team for these types of important tournaments.”

Individual Goals: The greatest Solo Efforts by Maccabi Players

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Over the years, Maccabi Tel Aviv players have scored thousands of goals. As technology improved, many were filmed and stored so we dug into the archives, went through the films and at the end of the day we found some of the best of the best that will excite every Yellow & Blue fan.

Over the upcoming weeks, you’ll be able to see the goals we selected on the Official Website and App broken down into various categories. The 4th episode takes a look at some of the great solo efforts by players in Yellow & Blue.Watch Episode 4:

הבלתי נשכחים: המבצעים האישיים הגדולים

In Short: Get to Know Jair Amador

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Jair Amador, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s newest defender took the time to give his first interview to the Club’s Official Website. He spoke about his style of play, what he brings to the Yellow & Blue and concludes with a message to the fans:

הכירו את ז’איר אמאדור

“My natural position is central left defender and that’s where I am most comfortable and play my best. I’m familiar with Maccabi as I’ve watched them on TV and from the media as well as from their European appearances. If they are playing in Europe then they must be doing the correct things to get there.”

Style of play:
“I’m a strong and physical player and I believe I’ll be able to make a contribution to the team on the defensive side. I also like to handle the ball and move it forward through the middle of the pitch. The strongest part of my game is to help the team from the back. At the end of the day, I’m a defensive player. I move up on the attack for set pieces with the objective of scoring goals. Last season I scored four. So any time I have a chance to go on the offensive to score a goal I will.”

Last season:
“On a personal level, this past season was a dream campaign for me and I was selected for the league’s Top XI. That proves that I did things well and I’m really happy about that. I can’t wait to meet the team, to have a good season and continue to develop as a footballer.”

Message to the fans:
“I want to bring joy and happiness to the fans and be able to win the league championship as we are Maccabi Tel Aviv. We are a club with a rich history and tradition who always battles for the title. I hope you’re excited about my arrival just as I am. YALLA MACCABI!”

JAIR AMADOR JOINED MACCABI ON A 3-YEAR-DEAL

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Maccabi Tel Aviv FC completed the signing of Jair Amador who joins the club on free transfer from SD Huesca. The 28-year-old central defender, who was born in Portugal but spent most of his life in Spain, successfully underwent a medical and signed a three-year-deal at the club.

ז’איר מוצג במכבי ת”א

The 190cm-tall central defender,  who was named in the team of the season last year, scored 3 goals in 42 appearances for Huesca last season and a total of 75 since joining the second division Spanish side from Levante in the summer of 2016.

After signing his new contract Jair told the club’s official website0: “I am delighted to be here at Maccabi Tel Aviv and very excited to play in the Israeli league. I am looking forward to get to know the club further and try win as many trophies as possible with the team”.

Following the signing of Amador, Maccabi’s CEO Ben Mansford told the club’s official website: “We are very happy to continue our summer recruitment with the addition of Jair. Throughout Spain, Jair was regarded as one of the best performers in La Liga 2 last season and made various teams of the season. Jair was highly sought after, especially from clubs in La Liga so I am delighted that he decided to choose Maccabi and embark on a new challenge with us. Jair is a strong defender and will give us some natural balance on the left had side of defense. As a club, we have tracked Jair for some time and it is always rewarding when a lot of hard work comes to fruition. Welcome Jair!”.

Amador, began his playing career at the Youth Academy of La Cruz Villanovnese before advancing through the ranks and making his senior debut in 2008. He has since spent spells on loan with Hernan Cortez and Miajadas before switching to Levante in 2015 and then Huesca.