The Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al published dates and times for Matchdays 24-25.

February 24, Matchday 24: Maccabi Tel Aviv – Hapoel Haifa (20:30, Netanya Stadium)
After a 2:2 draw at Sammy Ofer Stadium last round, Maccabi Tel Aviv will host Nir Klinger’s squad for a top of the table with 3 crucial points available for the taking.

March 3, Matchday 25: Ashdod – Maccabi Tel Aviv (20:30, 11 Stadium)
As the regular season nears the end, the Yellow & Blue head south for a match against Amir Turgeman’s side that includes loaned players Egor Filipenka, Dor Jan and Shachar Fiban.

After the Club’s 8 match winning streak across all competitions came to an end with the loss in the State Cup, Maccabi Tel Aviv heads to a tough away contest at Bnei Yehuda on Matchday 20 of the Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al at the Moshava Stadium. (To purchase tickets Click Here)

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This morning, the Yellow & Blue held their final training session ahead of Sunday’s match. Head Coach Jordi Cruyff will be without Tal Ben Haim and Dor Peretz due to yellow card accumulation.

Cruyff: “We have to lift ourselves up”

Cruyff looked ahead to the match against Bnei Yehuda as equally important to next week’s contest against Hapoel Beer Sheva: “We have to lift ourselves up after a disappointing result in the State Cup this past week and get back to the good results that we have had in league play over the past couple of months,” Cruyff commented to the Official Website.

“We have to react properly after the loss because we will be playing against a tough opponent who has been in good shape over the last few months. Like I have said in the past, we have to concentrate and focus on ourselves, improve and play more aggressively to make sure we take the points.”

About the loss of Ben Haim and Peretz due to yellow card accumulation:
“That’s part of football and other players have missed matches due to injuries as well. This will be an excellent opportunity for some of the other players to take advantage of the chance that they will receive.”

Avi Rikan, the Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder who just signed a new contract that will keep him at the Club until 2020 spoke exclusively to the Official Website about remaining in Yellow & Blue:

“This is my third year with the Club and I feel that I’m an integral part of the team. I’m happy to continue and I’m pleased that Maccabi has shown faith in me. I have a lot of expectations for myself as do my teammates.”

Comfortable in Yellow & Blue:
“I feel very connected to everyone here at the club and it’s one of the reasons why I wanted to stay. I’m happy that everything worked out and that I’ll remain here. I’m hungry to succeed.”

Unforgettable moment:
“When I look back, it seems like everything went by so quickly. One of the most unforgettable moments that I had was the second leg of the Champions League playoff against Basel. The atmosphere was amazing and everything went our way even though we gave up an early goal. When the referee blew the whistle to end the match there was such excitement that we were going to participate in the group stages of the Champions League.”

Winning titles:
“Of course I want to win titles and that’s why I came here. I want that to happen already and hopefully it will this season.”

Avi Rikan signed a new two-year-deal which will keep him at Maccabi Tel Aviv FC until the end of the 2019/20 season with the club having an option to extend by a further season.

The 29-year-old midfielder who joined Maccabi in the summer of 2015 from FC Zurich and scored 12 goals in 107 appearances in all competitions, 7 of which have been this season, told the club’s official website: “I am delighted with the contract extension and would like to thank everyone for the expression of faith in me.  At this stage of my career and together with the experience I gained, I feel a lot more mature yet my hunger to succeed  and improve at Maccabi Tel Aviv keep growing every day. I am delighted to stay on with my friends who turned into a family and the fans who keep supporting us everywhere and all the time”. 

Maccabi’s CEO Ben Mansford said: “We are really pleased to have secured Avi for two more seasons after this one and potentially with an option of a third. This year Avi is fine goal-scoring form, and for me since I have been over here in the past 6-7 months now, he has been an integral part of the dressing room. You can clearly see the influence that he has and how he gets everyone together. I am really pleased for Avi that he is going to spend the foreseeable future with Maccabi while winning trophies”.

Maccabi’s coach Jordi Cruyff, added: “I am happy that both Avi and the club reached an agreement to extend his contract and keep him at Maccabi. Avi is a player one can always count on, as he can play in various positions and is ready to help when necessary. Players like Rikan with such attributes like professionalism and positive approach are important to have at any club”.

This week’s Torah Portion Be’Shalach, which will be read this Shabbat morning features the beginnings of Maccabi Tel Aviv. Bnei Yisrael, the Children of Israel leave Egypt and arrive at the Red Sea as Pharaoh and his entire army has a change of heart and chases them down, seemingly cornering them against the water. However, God assures the people and Moses splits the sea allowing Bnei Yisrael to walk through on dry land. Once on the other side, the water crashes down on the Egyptians saving the Children of Israel.

Moses and Bnei Yisrael then sing “Az YaShir”, a song of praise recognizing the salvation afforded to them. One of the most famous phrases in the song is “Mi KaMocha Be’Elim, Hashem” (מי כמוך באלים ה׳) whose acronym spells out the Hebrew word Maccabi (מכבי). The loose translation of the phrase is “Who is like You among the heavenly powers?” Is there any power stronger than God? The answer of course is no. No one can be compared to God; a sign of power and strength.

In 1895 in the city of Constantinople, Jews were not allowed to participate in regular sports clubs and were forced to form one of their own. Using the acronym of Maccabi, the first Jewish Sports Club was formed eventually becoming Maccabi Jaffa in 1906 and then Maccabi Tel Aviv later on in that decade.

Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and supporters worldwide should reflect with pride on being part of this important and auspicious moment in the history of the Jewish People and know that with the desire, power and strength we can all succeed both on and off of the field of play.