Shota Arvealdze, the Yellow & Blue boss spoke to the assembled press about the upcoming match:

“It’s clear that it is not just us. Our goal was to advance to the group stages and we did that. There is one match left until we end the group stages and we want to continue on.”

About Dundalk:

“We had problems finding our way between the defensive line. I watched many of the club’s matches and they are an excellent team. Alkmaar may win but that doesn’t interest me. We have to get a good result ourselves. We don’t have the time to pray that they will slip up, we have to do our work. I don’t think this will be a very open match tomorrow. They have their own way to play and I believe that they won’t change.”

Availability of players:

“Oscar Scarione is the only player who is not fit and unavailable for tomorrow’s match.”

Dor Micha, the Yellow & Blue midfielder also commented to the press:

“I think that they surprised us in the first match. We thought that they would rely more on long balls but but we saw thatchy are indeed a team that knows how to play.”

The Club’s recent play:

“Football is a lot about momentum and right now things are not going well for us and this is the type of match that can put us on a the right track. This game can really turn around our whole season if we play well, win and advance to the Round of 32.”

Something missing:

“I think there is something missing, but I can’t put my finger on it. We want to win but we have been playing very poorly of late and we haven’t had the hunger that we need. We haven’t had a rough period of time like this for five years and I didn’t think that we would go back to what was back then. If we can get our energy level back up then we can things going the right direction.”

Changing things up:

“The coach is doing the maximum and is trying to help us as much as possible and change things up. Ultimately we, the players are on the pitch and not him but we will have to find ways to get back on track. Hopefully we will do that tomorrow.”

History in Short

The former defensive back moved from Beitar Jerusalem to the Yellow & Blue prior to the start of the 1989/90 season in a deal that also sent Uri Malmilian to Maccabi in one of the biggest player moves of the time. Cohen picked up a championship and two State Cups before arriving at Kiryat Shalom and proved to be a very important piece of the Maccabi teams at the beginning of the 1990’s.

The offense provided by the defender was at times unthinkable especially during the championship year of 1991/92 when Cohen won the League MVP with 17 goals and added another pair in the State Cup where the Yellow & Blue eventually fell in the Finals. Avi Cohen the Jerusalemite played five seasons for Maccabi and will always be remembered as one of the greatest defensive backs who laced up their boots for the Yellow & Blue. His career was cut short at the age of 32 when he retired due to a nagging back injury.

Titles

Championships: 1991/92, 1994/95

State Cup: 1993/94

Toto Cup: 1992/93

Top Moment

“Goal! Avi Cohen has scored the first Israeli goal in the European Cup, give him a hand!”

As we mentioned earlier, Avi Cohen The Jerusalemite was a defender that spent plenty of time in the opposition’s side of the pitch. In the 1992/93 season, Cohen made his mark in the history books after heading in the first ever Israeli Club goal in European competition when Maccabi played Valletta from Malta in the first match between the clubs. Down by a goal, Cohen, who was wearing the captain’s armband, headed in a corner kick leaving no chance for keeper to stop it. Two minutes to time, Cohen also assisted on Avi Nimni’s marker that helped Maccabi become the first Israeli team to record a victory in the European Cup.

Listen to Carlos Garcia at the 11:00 mark

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS TO THE DUNDALK MATCH

Maccabi Tel Aviv will visit Hapoel Haifa on Matchday 13 of the Ligat Ha’Al, Sunday December 11th at Sammy Ofer Stadium, 20:15. Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will be sitting in the South Stand.

Please read the updated ticket rules and regulations

Please note:

Ticket sales are via the Leaan Ticket Agency Office located at 101 Dizengoff Street, the Leaan Website and Telephone *8780. Tickets may be collected at the Leaan Ticket Office between Sunday-Thursday 09:00-19:00 and Friday 09:00-13:30.

Tickets may be printed at home

Tickets may be collected from three hours prior to the match, up until kick off.

Ticket Prices:

Leaan Ticket Office – 55 NIS

Telephone/Internet – 60 NIS

Matchday at the Stadium (Should tickets remain) – 50 NIS

The first round of Ligat Ha’Al, Premier League matches will come to a close this Sunday night when Maccabi visits Hapoel Haifa at Sammy Ofer. The Israel Football League has just published the dates and times for Matchdays 14-18.

There still may be some changes due to the Israel State Cup contests that will be played at the beginning of January, however, as of now Maccabi will start the second round of matches with an away trip to Hapoel Kfar Saba and will have a midweek clash against Hapoel Raanana and right after that the Tel Aviv Derby at Hapoel.

Saturday December 17, 2016: Matchday 14, Hapoel Kfar Saba – Maccabi Tel Aviv, Levita Stadium. Time: 16:00

Saturday December 24, 2016: Matchday 15, Maccabi Tel Aviv – SC Ashdod, Netanya Stadium. Time: 18:15

Monday January 2, 2017: Matchday 16, Beitar Jerusalem – Maccabi Tel Aviv, Teddy Stadium. Time: 21:00

Wednesday January 11, 2017: Matchday 17, Maccabi Tel Aviv – Hapoel Raanana, Netanya Stadium. Time: 21:00

Monday January 16, 2017: Matchday 18, Hapoel Tel Aviv – Maccabi Tel Aviv, Moshava Stadium, Time: 21:00

Tal Ben Haim, the Yellow & Blue veteran central defender discussed the current situation the Club is going through after splitting the points with Hapoel Ashkelon on Matchday 12. Number 26 talked about the responsibility and getting out of the current situation:

“These aren’t the results we wanted but there’s no choice right now and we have a very important match coming on Thursday night in the Europa League. We’re not going to put our heads down and I hope that we will win it and start down a new path.”

Getting out of the situation:

“Unfortunately we haven’t been able to score and I don’t remember seeing a team that has gone through these types of situations for such a long period of time. I hope that on Thursday we will break out of this. It’s hard to put a finger on the exact problem, but I can say that our coach is doing the maximum every day at practice and we are all behind him. We haven’t been able to do our utmost as players, each one of us. We have to double our efforts and keep our heads up. Truthfully, we haven’t been good and we are working hard to improve. You won’t hear me say something about an individual player, we are all in this as a team. We have good enough players and a good enough coach to get out of this situation together and I hope we will see this on Thursday.”

Responsibility:

“You’re not seeing an apathetic team that just doesn’t care, it’s exactly the opposite. You are seeing players who care, who are running hard and you can see that in the stats. Everyone is running, trying hard and we are all battling. The coach can’t do much more when he’s playing the last 20 minutes of the match with Tal Ben Chaim, Dor Micha, Barak Itzhaki, Eden Ben Basat and Vidar Kjartansson. We played with five strikers. When we show our abilities and our luck will change a bit then you’ll see a totally different Maccabi Tel Aviv. The coach is doing the maximum and the responsibility lies on us, the players.”