Category: News

Will Maccabi take 1st place at the end of the Regular Season?

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The Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al is one of the tightest in Europe this season and after 22 Matchdays just 5 points separates the 1st to 4th place clubs. Thanks to a win at Hapoel Acre, Maccabi remained atop the table for a second straight week.

There are 4 Matchdays remaining until the end of the regular season and then the 10 game playoff round will begin. Here’s the fixtures for each of the 4 clubs that will help determine the final sending before the playoffs get underway.

Maccabi Tel Aviv
Matchday 23: Hapoel Raanana (Home)
Matchday 24: Hapoel Haifa (Home)
Matchday 25: Ashdod (Away)
Matchday 26: Maccabi Petah Tikva (Home)

Hapoel Beer Sheva
Matchday 23: Maccabi Petah Tikva (Home)
Matchday 24: Beitar Jerusalem (Home)
Matchday 25: Kiryat Shemona (Away)
Matchday 26: Bnei Sakhin (Home)

Beitar Jerusalem
Matchday 23: Bnei Yehuda (Home)
Matchday 24: Hapoel Beer Sheva (Away)
Matchday 25: Hapoel Acre (Home)
Matchday 26: Hapoel Raanana (Away)

Hapoel Haifa
Matchday 23: Maccabi Netanya (Home)
Matchday 24: Maccabi Tel Aviv (Away)
Matchday 25: Maccabi Haifa (Away)
Matchday 26: Ashdod (Home)

Winning Together: Maccabi and Etgarim join forces

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The Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club Foundation and Etgarim non-profit organization are delighted to announce their partnership to promote public awareness of sports for people with disabilities through the mobilization of the Maccabi Tel Aviv family. As part of the cooperation, the club – the players, professional staff and employees – will extensively take part in Etgarim activities, which have proven to be an effective tool for personal empowerment and social integration.

Ben Mansford, Maccabi Tel Aviv FC CEO, said: “Partnering with Etgarim is a great honor and representative of our ambition as a club. Maccabi has the privilege to help people with disabilities from across the country and give them the opportunity to change their lives through challenge sports. Everyone connected to the club can help provide them with hope as they integrate productively into society as their determination and courage will hearten us all. We call on all Maccabi Tel Aviv fans to come together and contribute to the best of their abilities towards this partnership.”

Josh Halickman, Head of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club Foundation praised the collaboration: “Etgarim means “challenges” in Hebrew and aligns itself perfectly with one of the Foundation’s main goals-the promotion of social activities and encouraging our fans to join our efforts. We’re thrilled to raise public awareness about the wonderful programs that Etgarim does which helps ensure that this segment of the population has the opportunity to be recognized for their special abilities and talents through sports.”

Etgarim CEO Avner Balkany said: “It is a great honor for us to be partners with the oldest, largest and the most decorated football club in Israel. Beyond Maccabi’s achievements on the pitch, what separates them from others is their involvement and their efforts in the community as they help society as a whole. I’m certain that this partnership will warm the hearts of our members, who break down barriers every day and prove that nothing will stand in their way.”

Maccabi players will visit and take part in Etgarim’s various activities including: cycling, running, sailing, kayaking, climbing and more. Representatives from the club will also take part in the organization’s events, the first of which is the annual “Wheels of Hope” event, which has been held for 16 years in the Jezreel Valley, attended by thousands of cyclists and families.

Beginning with the upcoming league match against Hapoel Raanana, an Etgarim member will be awarded the Maccabi Foundation Medallion of Honor by one of Maccabi Tel Aviv players at every home game. In addition, there will be inspirational lectures and presentations by the Etgarim members given to the players on the First Team as well as the Youth Department clubs.

Details about how to take part in the programs will be posted on the Club’s Official Media platforms.

About Etgarim:
Etgarim, has been active for over 20 years and is a non-profit organization dedicated to the empowerment and social integration and rehabilitation of people with disabilities through sports. Activities include: Scuba diving, running, walking and hiking, cycling, sailing, rock climbing and abseiling, canoeing, water skiing and more. Over the years, the organization has nurtured the belief in the ability of its members to break boundaries, overcome obstacles, realize and lead themselves to a life full of hope and satisfaction and thereby change the reality of their lives. Today over 5,000 youth and 1,000 adults take part in Etgarim programs.

About Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club Foundation:
The Foundation’s mission is to help make an impact on the larger Israeli society using the positive energy of football to affect the lives of those in our community. With the largest fan base in the country, our vision is to make each and every supporter an active player and ambassador of the Foundation, thereby increasing our impact across the nation.

What did Atar & Rajiko really do? The match in GIFs

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  1. The First Half

2. The goal posts in Acre

3. Dor Peretz in the air

4. Rajikovic in action

5. Taking care of yesterday’s chances

6. Fans of Maccabi’s top of the table rivals during the match

7. The rivals in the 76’

8. Another day at the office for Eliran Atar

9. Blackman taking the penalty

10. Maccabi’s 4/4 at the Acre Stadium this season

11. Maccabi fans during tonight’s Beer Sheva/Ashdod match

via GIPHY

Maccabi Launches Official Telegram Messenger Account

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With over 159K Facebook Likes, 63K Instagram Users and 23K Twitter Followers plus thousands more on Yellow & Blue WhatsApp and Snapchat groups, Maccabi Tel Aviv is proud to be the 1st Sports Club in Israel to launch a Telegram Messenger Account.

Join now and you’ll be able to know everything that happens at the club as soon as the new breaks right on your mobile phone. To register, click on the following banner:

Why did we decide to join the Telegram?
• Provides the fans with a Channel that can have an unlimited amount of members
• Telegram Messenger is run by a non-profit organization
• Can send all file types up to 1.5GB
• They have never experienced a network crash, unlike other messaging applications
• Set a specific color (Did someone say yellow?) – available on Android devices

Ticket Sales Hapoel Raanana Home Match

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Maccabi Tel Aviv will welcome Hapoel Raanana on Matchday 23 of the Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al at 16:00 at the Netanya Stadium. Tickets are now on sale, so come out and cheer on the Yellow & Blue!

Maccabi fans may purchase tickets for the following sections: West Stand Reserved Upper (203-209) & Lower Levels (101-109) , Silver and E+. This match is included in the 2017/18 season ticket package.

You may purchase tickets at the Leaan Ticket Office located at 101 Dizengoff Street, Tel Aviv, by telephone *8780 and via the Leaan Website.

Please note:
* Print at home is available

Ticket Prices
Leaan Ticket Office
West Stand
Adult – 100 NIS
E+ – 200 NIS
Silver – 350 NIS

Telephone/Website
West Stand
Adult – 105 NIS
Youth/Soldier/Woman – 55 NIS (Phone Sales only, not including section 103-107, 204-206 and are issued at the Leaan Box Office by providing appropriate documentation)
E+ – 205 NIS
Silver – 355 NIS

Ticket Collection
Tickets may be collected at the Leaan Ticket Office located at 101 Dizengoff 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.

“This is type of game that if you want to be champion you have to win“

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After the Yellow & Blue’s 2:0 victory over Hapoel Acre, Maccabi was happy with the result but as the Head Coach Jordi Cruyff pointed out, “Today was warning that if we aren’t in the right mode we can lose points to any team.”

Dor Micha, the Maccabi midfielder looked back at the match that was: “I believe that this was perhaps one of our weakest games over the last while. Everything was difficult from the outset and we weren’t able to create a lot of dangerous chances but that’s the type of game that if you want to be champion you have to win.”

“Acre prepared well for the match. They were able to shut down our strong points and gave us some issues. But I’m happy we showed character and won the match,” Micha continued. “I think that we have been stronger this round of matches. There were games that we were soft and gave up some goals in the first round but this round we have been mentally stronger and we believe that we can win every match even like today when we were down to 10-men.”

The gap at the top of the table:
“It’s significant at this stage of the season to win every match. We aren’t in a position when we can lose points and not just because of Beer Sheva. Look at the other clubs, Beitar and Hapoel Haifa. So now’s the time to take as many points as possible ahead of the playoffs.”

Cruyff: “Today was warning that we can lose points to any team”

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Jordi Cruyff, the Yellow & Blue Head Coach looked back on his squad’s 2:0 win over Hapoel Acre on Matchday 22 of the Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al:

ג’ורדי קרויף לאחר הניצחון על עכו

“Our performance in the first half was weak without the right intensity and not connected to the game. Acre put some good pressure, had some good chances and Rajiko had a good game for us. In the second half the character came out when they understood that they may lose points. We fought especially when we had ten men. It was a good result and a good 3-points, but not the performance. Sometimes you have these games when things go wrong but you still manage to win.”

The match itself:
“We couldn’t have a normal buildup and we had Tal Ben Haim in a different role than he is used to. In general we have to start these games knowing that every opponent is tough and we have to be ready every single game. We have to fight from the first minute. Today was warning that if we aren’t in the right mode we can lose points to any team.”

Beer Sheva playing after Maccabi:
“Today was a good example that we were dangerous for ourselves. We don’t need to look at other teams what they do and when they play. It’s about us and getting on that field and showing what we are capable of from the first to last minutes. Some games you win by technique some by character and others by organization. We have to understand that we have to be connected and have intensity and today we didn’t have it. It doesn’t matter when our opponents play. We have to concentrate on ourselves.”

About Eliran Atar:
“If he didn’t play he couldn’t score. We are using Eliran in the moments when the team needs him. I’m very happy with him and the other strikers; they are all getting their goals. Sometimes it’s one and sometimes the other but the main thing is that Maccabi is getting the wins and sticking together.”

10-man Maccabi takes home the 2:0 win over Acre

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The Yellow & Blue with 10-men defeated Hapoel Acre 2:0 on Matchday 22 of the Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al to stay atop the table after second half goals by substitute Eliran Atar and a Nick Blackman penalty. Striker Barak Itzhaki was sent off in the 56’ for a reckless tackle on Ben Reichert while a penalty call in favor of Maccabi was reversed two minutes earlier in an entertaining contest as Jordi Cruyff’s side took home the 3-points and the win.

Jordi Cruyff’s Starting XI included keeper Predrag Rajikovic, Dor Micha, Eitan Tibi, Tal Ben Haim, Jean-Sylvain Babin, Ofir Davidzada, Dor Peretz, Cristian Battocchio, Barak Itzhaki, Nick Blackman, Vidar Kjartansson.

Available on the bench were keeper Daniel Tenenbaum, Aaron Schoenfeld, Avi Rikan, Tomer Altman, Jose Rodriguez, Gidi Kanuk and Eliran Atar.

First Half
Maccabi looked to take an early lead and in the 3’ Battocchio’s free kick went to Babin, but his low liner hit the left post and went out to safety. Seven minutes later, Gaby Kanikovsky’s long distance attempt went out as Acre had their first chance of the contest. Ben Azubel had an opportunity for Acre in the 14’ but Rajikovic was up to the task and sent the ball out for a corner.

Two minutes later Azubel has a brilliant chance to give the host’s the lead but he headed a corner right into the waiting hands of Rajikovic while Peretz was issued a yellow card in the 17’. Azubel again went for a header on Rajikovic but this time the Maccabi shot stopper made an alert kick save to keep the match goalless after 22’.

Maccabi was given a free kick in the 28’ that Blackman skied over the goal while three minutes later Vidar turned at the top of the box and put the ball off of the left post. Blackman was shown yellow for a reckless tackle in the 32’ which was followed up by a yellow card to Bruno Ibeh on Acre soon thereafter.

Peretz tried a header off a corner in the 42’ that missed the target and two minutes later Itzhaki’s attempt from the top right corner of the box off a corner went over the bar. At the other end just before the break, Peter Onyekachi went one on one with Rajikovic but his attempt went wide to the left of the goal as the half ended deadlocked at 0:0.

Second Half
Acre continued looking for a goal and Matan Baltaxa who Maccabi loaned to the northern side last month launched a bullet towards the Yellow & Blue goal, however, his effort went wide left in the 50’. Blackman was pushed down in the box in the 54’ and a penalty was called for Maccabi but after consultation with the other referees he reversed the call.

However, two minutes later Itzhaki was issued a straight red card for a reckless tackle on Ben Reichert leaving Maccabi with ten men for the balance of the contest. Onyekachi‘s 61’ opportunity went over the goal while Cruyff made his first substitute of the match when he inserted Eliran Atar in favor of Vidar. Azubel rifled the ball towards Rajikovic in the 64’ but the Yellow & Blue keeper made an incredible instinctive save.

Four minutes later Yinon Eliyahu’s header just missed the target as Acre continued to threaten the Maccabi goal. Cruyff made his second substitution when he brought on Avi Rikan for Ben Haim in the 72’ as the Yellow & Blue looked to find the first marker of the match.

And find it they would! Eliran Atar put in a rebound off a Blackman chance that Ram Strauss wasn’t able to hold on to for a 1:0 advantage in the 76’ and 3 minutes later Gal Shaish pulled down Blackman in the box and was awarded a penalty that he duly converted for a 2:0 lead. Aaron Schoenfeld came on for Blackman in the 87’ as Maccabi wrapped up the win and took home the 3-points to keep them atop the table.

Yellow & Blue Saturday Results February 10, 2018

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שערי השבת במחלקת הנוער 10.2.18


Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv 3:0 Bnei Yehuda
The Under-19 side hosted Bnei Yehuda on Matchday 18 of the Israel Youth Premier League Ligat Ha’Al and won 3:0 thanks to goals by Netanel Peretz, Mufleh Shalata and Eylon Almog. The victory was the team’s 9th in 10 games as they sit in 2nd place, just a point off the top of the table. For the Match Report Click Here

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv 0:0 Hapoel Raanana
The Under-17 squad welcomed Hapoel Raanana to Kiryat Shalom on Matchday 17 and split the points after a goalless draw which kept Maccabi “Oded” in first place with a gap of 9 points over the 2nd place club. Head Coach Eliezer Ben Aharon summed up his side’s performance: “We ended the second match of the second round in a goalless draw and we missed some excellent chances throughout the contest. Raanana played as expected with 10 players behind the ball, didn’t push forward and only had one attempt on our goal. When we prepared for the match, we told the team that in order to break down a bunker you have to think outside of the box and perform actions that they won’t expect very quickly. The chances we had were a result of what we preached and practiced but we couldn’t score. We are familiar with games like these when the ball just refuses to go in and the opposition surprises us with a goal on a counter attack. That fortunately didn’t happen due to our defensive efficiency and how we prepared for the match which was to watch out for Raanana’s long balls. This is the type of game where whatever you’ll do, the ball won’t go in. The second round is always more difficult than the first for the top clubs and we can see that after the top 3 teams didn’t win this Matchday. Next week, hopefully we will play better and score.”

Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv 3:2 Hapoel Tel Aviv Yashin
After last Matchday’s win along with a midweek State Cup victory, the Under-16 side continued its fine play with a Derby win over Hapoel on Matchday 18. The win keeps the young Yellow & Blue in 5th place, 5 points off of the top of the table. Or Roizman, Tal Torjman and Yali Lazar all scored. Head Coach Raymond Atteveld commented following the match: “It’s always great to defeat Hapoel. Unlike our previous matches we didn’t get into a deficit situation and we scored first. We were the better side but we weren’t patient enough to find the open man and if we would have been a bit more patient we would have had more chances. In any case we had enough opportunities to win 3:2 and we missed a chance in the last minute to score a 4th goal when the ball hit the bar. I want to congratulate the players who had a long week with a league match, winning on penalties on Wednesday in the Cup after overtime at Pardes Hana and on today’s important Derby victory. All in all it was a good week and the players worked hard while learning some new things that we had the chance to see in action on the pitch. It wasn’t a simple game as it was between two good teams, but we were a bit better and won the contest. I’m happy for the Club and for Maccabi.”

Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv 5:0 Hapoel Kiryat Ono
The Under-15 South team continued to score in bunches as Ori David’s squad defeated Kiryat Ono 5:0 and have scored 23 goals while giving up none over their last 3 matches. The win keeps Maccabi “Eldad” in first place as Elad Kaplan x2, Ohad Mizrahi x2 and Amit Kodman all scored. David summed up the win: “We played good football against a team that didn’t push forward and we were able to find a way to score some quality goals.”

Maccabi Emek Hefer Avraham 0:2 Maccabi “Ilan” Tel Aviv
The Under-15 North squad headed north for a tough away battle on Matchday 16 and fell to Emek Hefer which left them in 4th place. Head Coach Asaf Heber explained: “Unfortunately we didn’t play well and we came to half chances that we couldn’t take advantage of. We gave up a goal at the start of the second half and we weren’t able to come back. The opponent was much more aggressive despite the fact that we controlled the match and we were punished for a defensive mistake and when you don’t score when you do have an opportunity you will pay for it later.”