Category: News
Revivo: “I always believe and want to give everything”
Roy Revivo is set to make his 30th appearance this season as Maccabi will face Hapoel Haifa at Sammy Ofer. On the back of the 3-1 defeat to Beitar Jerusalem on Monday which saw Maccabi concede top spot and fall within three points from the leaders, the 21-year-old Israeli international who became a regular in Maccabi’s defense, remained confident: “I don’t feel the pressure, I feel the urge to want the championship and give everything to avoid the feeling I missed something” Revivo said ahead of the match at Sammy Ofer.
“We have Hapoel Haifa first and foremost” Revivo said. Despite the fact Maccabi collected only a point from the last two matches, Revivo insisted: “I always believe and would like to give everything regardless of what the outcome might be.”
Despite being sidelined for several weeks due to injury, Revivo will be making his 30th appearance for Maccabi this season as he added: “This season is very long we played plenty of matches, but the championship will go all the way to the wire.”
On the feeling in the camp, Revivo added: “What the coach speaks to us about stays with us. We don’t have time to sulk as this is football and there is not much one can do. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose but I can say that the entire team will be a 100% ready, and we would like to go all the way.”
Revivo dismissed any claims that he has got his sight and a move abroad as he summed up: “All I am focused on is Hapoel Haifa and winning the championship which is the most important thing for me right now. I am not thinking about anything else.”
Watch: Honoring the family that saved Sala Goldhar at Yad Vashem
The 2025 Holocaust Remembrance Day is marked with memorial ceremonies held throughout the country. In April 2023 Maccabi’s first team visited, Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre outside Jerusalem and underwent a detailed tour where they heard about the history of the Jewish nation in its’ darkest time.
The team then continued their tour to the Wall of Honor at the Garden of the Righteous Among the Nations where the names of Aniela Dembinska as well as Mikolaj and Helena Sajowski who were instrumental in saving the life of Mitch Goldhar’s mother, Sala Armel Goldhar, from perishing during the Holocaust, are engraved.
Watch the clip covering the visit and the emotional story of Sala’s rescue:
Their words, our commemoration
Special project ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day 2025: Several first team players including Ofir Davidzada, Idan Nachmias and Ido Shahar joined together in a remembrance project called “Their words, our commemoration” in which they read passages of text written by Jewish victims of the Holocaust who were murdered by the Nazis.
Ofir Davidzada reads part of the Exodus poem written by Benjamin Fondane after. He was arrested with his sister in March 1944 as the two siblings were deported to the Drancy camp. Despite having an option to be released, Fondane refused to be separated from his sister and was sent to Auschwitz – Birkenau where they were both murdered.
Idan Nachmias read from a farewell letter written by Srul Shaya Kalezyk that was found in the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto in 1965.
Ido Shahar recited a passage from the diary of 16-year-old Yitskhok Rudashevski from Vilnius. Between June 1941 and April 1943, Rudashevski detailed the hardship of life in the Vilnius ghetto. He was shot dead in the Ponary massacre during the liquidation of the ghetto in September–October 1943
Davida: “It is disappointing to lose such a game”
Despite a 3-1 defeat to Beitar Jerusalem at Teddy which kept Maccabi three points behind leaders Hapoel Be’ersheva, Osher Davida who scored Maccabi’s goal remained upbeat. “This title race is far from over. I am convinced it still depends on us”.
“It is annoying to lose such a game” the 24-year-old forward said after the match at Teddy. “We were close to take the lead on several occasions in the first half and even in the second half we felt we could get back at 2-1 but in the end we lost momentum and they scored the third. We move on from here.”
On the fact Maccabi didn’t beat Beitar on three attempts, Davida said: “We come and play like in every game as even our previous visit here we were the better side so I don’t know how we lost then and how we did so now but this is football.”
Despite trailing the leaders by 3 points Davida remained confident: “Be’ersheva still have to come to Bloomfield, we can beat them 3-0 and win the title”.
Lazetic’s summary of the defeat to Beitar
Maccabi lose 3-1 to Beitar
Preview
Maccabi arrived at Teddy stadium for the MD31 WINNER League match against fourth placed Beitar Jerusalem. Zarko Lazetic whose side were held to a 1-1 draw by Maccabi Haifa would like to get back to winning ways, beat Beitar for the first time this season and cancel the three-point- gap from the leaders.
Lazetic made two changes from last week’s draw at Bloomfield as Nemanja Stojic who completed his one match touchline ban returned to partner Raz Shlomo at the heart of defense. Tyrese Asante on the right and Roy Revivo on the left completed Maccabi’s back four. Lazetic made no changes to his engine room as Issouf Sissokho, Joris van Overeem and Dor Peretz formed Maccabi’s midfield trio. Weslley Patati on one wing and Dor Turgeman on the opposite flank supplied the width to Maccabi’s formation in support of Eran Zahavi who led the line and the team out.
On the bench Lazetic named goalkeeper Roi Mishpati, Stav Lemkin, Idan Nachmias, Gabi Kanichowsky, Henry Addo, Ophir Davidzada, Hisham Layous, Ido Shahar and Osher Davida.
First Half
A sea of Yellow and Black with a touch of Blue from the visiting section but mostly a deafening wall of noise created by a sell-out Teddy stadium welcomed both sets of players onto the pitch. A minute into the game Maccabi’s keeper Simon Sluga was drawn into the action as he punched away a Timothy Muzie shot. Beitar’s keeper Miguel Silva was twice tested by Weslley Patati and on both occasions equaled the Brazilian winger. In the 15th minute Jean Marcelin stepped on Patati’s foot inside the box without a response from referee Yigal Frid. But VAR intervened, called the referee to the screen and Maccabi were awarded a penalty. Eran Zahavi stepped up and blasted the spot kick, but Beitar’s Portuguese keeper dived to his right and saved.
Six minutes after the half hour mark the ball fell to Zahavi on the edge of box but his shot was turned by Silva over the crossbar. A minute later at the opposite end a Beitar counterattack resulted with Omer Atzili shrugging of Tyrese Asante’s attempt of a tackle before firing a shot which rattled Sluga’s crossbar. Just as the fourth official signaled for 2 minutes of added time Gil Cohen released Silva Kangai down the right. The Beitar forward cut inside onto his left but saw his shot blocked by Maccabi’s defense.
Second Half
With no changes to either side at the break both teams returned for the second half which began just like the first one. Mayron George blasted a shot which struck the side netting before Kangai fired over. In the 51st minute Revivo drilled in a ball from Dor Peretz who continued with a flick towards goal, but Silva pulled a reflex save to claw the ball out and deny Maccabi the opener. Two minutes later however Teddy erupted as a Raz Shlomo’s attempt to head the ball back to Sluga fell to George who blasted a low drive to put Beitar in front.
The Beitar strike hobbled off as he injured himself during the goal celebration making way for Patrick Twumasi. Four minutes after the hour mark Sluga denied Beitar from doubling their lead as he first made a save from Atzili before diving at the feet of the winger who was deep inside his area. Maccabi’s defense struggled to clear the corner as Sissokho’s attempt of a clearance reached Jean Marcelin. The tall defender left Maccabi’s defense behind him as he skipped past Revivo to break into the area before firing low into the net to double Beitar’s lead. Zarko Lazetic reacted with a double substitution as Sissokho and Zahavi bowed out and were replaced by Gabi Kanichowsky and Osher Davida.
In the 79th minute Lazetic made a third change as Henry Addo came on for Patati who had a quiet game by his own high standards. Maccabi cut the deficit in the 83rd minute as a Davida cross from the right which was aiming to pick Peretz’s darting run into the box bounced in front of Silva and ended up in the bottom corner to make it 2-1. Ido Shahar replaced Joris van Overeem on 88 as the diminutive midfielder was introduced to try and help Maccabi score an equalizer. But inside injury time Yarin Levi blasted a powerful drive into the top corner that sealed Beitar’s victory and rounded up a miserable night overall.
