Category: News

“I’m not going to lie, this hasn’t been a very good time for the Club”

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The Yellow & Blue’s veteran central defender Eitan Tibi discussed the issues that the squad is currently going through following the 0:0 draw against Hapoel Ashkelon on Matchday 12 of the Ligat Ha’Al. Number 18 spoke about the upcoming Europa League match while also talking about the pressure that is mounting and finding a way out of the current frustrating situation:

“We are going through a tough time and I think we enjoyed a four year run that was excellent, but right now this is one of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s toughest periods of time. I hope we can find a way out of it.”

Getting out of this together:

“I’m not going to lie, this hasn’t been a very good time for the Club. The last ten games we have not looked good but at the end of the day we will get out of this together as a Club.”

Pressure mounting:

“As a player we are trying to do our utmost to score the first goal and it’s been very difficult to bra through the formation that other teams are playing against us. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to do that and as the match continues on the pressure mounts. We have to understand how to get through this because we aren’t playing well and we gave to find a way to score that goal.”

Looking ahead:

“We have to see what we can do better after this match and prepare as best as possible for the Europa League match on Thursday.”

Maccabi & Ashkelon Split the points in 0:0 draw

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The Yellow & Blue & Ashkelon played to a 0:0 draw and split the points as Maccabi will now prepare to host Dundalk on Matchday Six of the Europa League Group Stages on Thursday at 20:00.

Prematch
Head Coach Shota Arveladze had Serbian keeper Predrag Rajikovic in goal with a defense of Eli Dasa, Omri Ben Harush, Tal Ben Haim and Eitan Tibi in front of him. Eyal Golasa, Haris Medunjanin and Nosa Igiebor were in the midfield while Sagiv Yehezkel, acting Captain Tal Ben Chaim and Vidar Kjartansson provided the attack.

Available on the bench were Barak Levi, Gal Alberman, Egor Filipenka, Barak Itzhaki, Yossi Benayoun, Dor Micha and Eden Ben Basat.
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First Half
The Yellow & Blue looked to strike first as Dasa sent Kjartansson a chip into the box in the 8th minute, but the Icelander couldn’t find the goal while two minutes later Igiebor gave Yehezkel a nice ball but the winger’s tough angle shot was saved by Aiyenugba.

Ben Harush lofted a fabulous ball into the box but Kjartansson’s header was off the mark just going wide of the goal in the 23rd minute. Two minutes later Medunjanin’s left footed low screamer went wide right of the post as the score remained 0:0. Number 4 tried his luck from 20 meters but his 39th minute scorcher went wide right of the goal once again as the sides went into the break goalless.
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Second Half
Coach Arveladze introduced Dor Micha in favor of Sagiv Yehezkel as the Yellow & Blue looked to break through the Ashkelon defense and Micha almost did exactly that two minutes into the half. Medunjanin found number 15 in the box off of a corner but his weak effort was easily collected by Aiyenugba while winger Ben Chaim picked up a yellow card as well.

Maccabi made their second substitution of the evening in the 54th minute as Barak Itzhaki entered the match and Medunjanin exited as the Yellow & Blue continued to search for the opening goal of the game. Ten minutes later the Georgian boss made his third and final substitution introducing Eden Ben Basat for Igiebor.
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In the 68th minute Micha tried his luck from 20 meters but his ball breezed by the post while Ashkelon coach Yuval Naim made a pair of substitutions as Baruch Dego and Matan Hozez were brought on in the 74th and 84th minutes respectively.

As the clock hit the 90th minute Ben Basat’s header couldn’t find the goal as the match ended in a goalless draw. Maccabi will now get ready for their final UEFA Europa League group stage match on Thursday night at 20:00 against Dundalk from Ireland as the Yellow & Blue will look to book their spot in the Round of 32.

Maccabi “Shachar” & Beer Sheva draw 1:1

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Prematch
After a lengthy break, Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv was back in Youth League action as they faced off against Hapoel Beer Sheva. Guy Tzarfati stayed with the same Starting XI from the last young Yellow & Blue contest as they looked to collect three points and move closer to the top of the table.
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First Half
Maccabi “Shachar” didn’t get off to the start that they wanted as they gave up an early goal in the 4th minute when they lost the ball leading to a devastating counter attack as Matan Cohen scored to give the hosts a quick 1:0 lead. Tzarfati’s side almost found the equalizer just a few minutes later thanks to Ron Zamir but his chance was blocked by the Beer Sheva keeper.
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After 30 minutes, the Under-19’s made their first substitution as Eden Kartzev was introduced in favor of Ran Vaturi and five minutes later they tied up the game on a beauty of a goal. Ron Zamir cut into the box and scored from in close to draw Maccabi “Shachar” even at Wassermil as the score remained as is into the break.

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Both sides stayed with the same lineups heading in to half number two but soon thereafter Tzarfati brought on Dor Galili and Guy Shetach to try and find a go ahead goal. Netanel Peretz and Shay Golan were also introduced into the fray but the Yellow & Blue were stymied by the Beer Sheva defense and the clubs each picked up one point a piece.

Get to know: Keeper Omer Kats

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A few hours before the First Team will take on Hapoel Asheklon at the Netanya Stadium, the Under-19 side will get back to action after a break for pitch winterization throughout they Youth Ligat Ha’Al as they will head down to play Hapoel Beer Sheva at Wassermil Stadium at 12:00. The young Yellow & Blue have won three games in a row and want to pick up where they left off.
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After a stuttering start to the season, Maccabi “Shachar” find themselves in fourth place and in good form. One of the terrific stats for the side is that they have given up the least goals in the league so far this campaign, allowing only four goals over 8 Matchdays. One of the responsible parties is 18-year old shot stopper Omer Kats who is a familiar face at Kiryat Shalom. Kats spent six seasons at the Club’s Youth Department and following a season away on loan at Ramat HaSharon, has now returned to the services of the Yellow & Blue replacing Haviv Ohayon.

“I know Haviv and he is a great keeper. Maccabi is my home and it wasn’t strange for me to come back to the Club as I know plenty of the players from prior years. I also wasn’t worried to return because I am confident in my abilities. I was in touch with our keeper coach Chen Abdu even when I was on loan as he is like a father for me. I’ve received good feedback from the coaches and my teammates from the beginning of the season and I work with Chen on the parts of my game that needs improvement. I know what my abilities are and what I need to do to help the Club.”

About his loan spell at Ramat HaSharon:
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“It was a big change for me and honestly it was vey hard for me to do, but at the end of the day it was an amazing experience and one that was very eye-opening. I was part of the First Team squad for 8 matches plus I was with the Youth Club and we were promoted at the end of the season. It’s very different than Maccabi but it was a lot of fun and I toughened up as well.”

Coming back after a long break and having a tough match right away:

“We prepared very well during the break with a lot of practice matches and training sessions against the First Teams of Hapoel Ramat Gan and Beitar Tel Aviv/Ramle which were both at a very high level. We are about to have a run of some pretty difficult games coming up against some tough teams, but I believe you’ll really get to see what we are made of. This Saturday you’ll see that we are ready to go against Hapoel Beer Sheva.”

They say that keepers need to be a bit “crazy”, but you look like someone who breaks that stigma:

“I agree with that. Today, keepers need to really use their head and not just rely on their physical abilities. To just be a “crazy” keeper is just not enough to succeed today.”

Looking ahead to the future:

“I really want to continue my progress and make it to the First Team at Maccabi. I had a chance to train with them and had the privilege to work with Shura, from whom I learnt a lot. Just being able to train with players at the highest level in the country is something totally different. Last season I had the opportunity to practice with Ramat HaSharon’s senior side and you can really feel the differences.”

Youth Department action, Saturday December 3, 2016

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Hapoel “HaShlosha” Beer Sheva – Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv, 12:00, Wassermil
Guy Tzarfati’s side will visit the Southern capital club on Matchday 9 of the Youth Ligat Ha’Al. The young Yellow & Blue want to keep up their fine form following the break and continue to cut the lead at the top of the table.

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv – Hapoel Kiryat Ono, 12:30, Kiryat Shalom (State Cup)
The Under-17 squad will begin their quest for the State Cup as Eliezer Ben Aharon’s team opens up the competition against Hapoel Kiryat Ono.

Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv – HaKoach Maccabi Amidar Ramat Gan, 10:30, Kiryat Shalom (State Cup)
Alon Brumer’s club will also begin their run for the State Cup as HaKoach Maccabi Amidar Ramat Gan visit the Kiryat Shalom Training Facility.

Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv – Hapoel “Nachalat Yehuda” Rishon Le’Zion, 08:30, Kiryat Shalom
The Under-15 side of Ori David will host Hapoel “Nachalat Yehuda” Rishon Le’Zion at Kiryat Shalom in a second round State Cup contest.

Bnei Yehud – Maccabi “Ilan” Tel Aviv
Amir Sofer’s squad want to advance past the second round of the State Cup tournament when they visit Bnei Yehud.

Yellow & Blue December

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December 3rd – Hosting Ashkelon at Netanya
The newly promoted Ligat Ha’Al club will visit the Netanya Stadium as Maccabi will try to get onto the winning track after falling to Bnei Yehuda last Matchday. It’s been a while since the Yellow & Blue played on Saturday at such an early hour, so we’re calling on all of the Maccabi fans and families to make their way to see the team in action. We’ll also be bringing you the game via Internet Radio LIVE from the Stadium on the Official Website and App.
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December 8th – European Clash
After all of the long flights, the many stadiums and cities that we visited across Europe, the final Europa League Group Stage match will be played on Thursday night at 20:00 as Maccabi will look to book their spot in the Round of 32 against Dundalk from Ireland. The Yellow & Blue lost to the Irish side on Matchday Two of the competition but a win coupled with a favorable result by Zenit at Alkmaar will send them to the next stage of the tournament. This match will also be on Internet Radio LIVE from the Stadium on the Official Website and App.
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Vote for the HP 2016 Goal of the Year
It wasn’t easy but we were able to pare down the list of great goals of the year to ten between this season and last as HP sponsors this terrific competition. What do YOU get out of this? An amazing prize, so it’ll be worth your while to pay attention to this fantastic contest.

December 11th – Heading to Sammy Ofer for a date with Hapoel Haifa
Just prior to finishing off the First Round of Ligat Ha’Al matches, Maccabi will visit Haifa where they will play Hapoel Haifa on Matchday 13 with the goal of ending the round with a win.
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Matchday 14 – Opening up the Second Round with away clash at Hapoel Kfar Saba (Final date & time TBD)
Opening Day saw Tal Ben Chaim score a pair of goals while Eden Ben Basat added a single marker as Maccabi will look to duplicate the same result that they achieved at Teddy Stadium but this time at Levita Stadium against Sharon Mimer’s club.

Matchday 15 – Celebrating Chanukah with a match against Ashdod (Final date & time TBD)
The Holiday of the Maccabis has finally arrived and what better way to celebrate than in Yellow & Blue style. The doughnuts and activities are on us so we’ll see you in Netanya!
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Maccabi Tel Aviv Chanukah Programs
You didn’t think that the week of Chanukah would go by quietly at Maccabi? We have plenty of activities planned for you to make it the best Holiday EVER! Community Day at Kiryat Shalom, players visiting the Official Stores and much, much more. Make sure to keep tabs on the Official Website and the Club’s Social Networks for all of the latest updates!

Matchday 16 – Pilgrimage to Jerusalem to meet Beitar (Final date & time TBD)
The first match was one of the most dramatic games of the First Round ending 2:2 as the Yellow & Blue will be hosted by the capital city club.

Benayoun: “We have enough quality players who can stop this snowball effect”

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Maccabi Tel Aviv ended their Toto Cup run after falling to Kiryat Shemona 1:0 away and were knocked out on away goals. Yossi Benayoun summed up the match: “Its a big disappointment. This hasn’t been a good period of time for us. We’re barely scoring goals and there’s nothing we can do. We have to fix some things in order to get back onto the winning track and regain our confidence. It’s clear that this loss hurts. This is a big Club that’s used to winning every game. We have enough quality players who can stop this snowball effect. I hope that we will be able to do this already against Ashkelon.”

His feelings and those of his teammates:

Our convince has been hurt over the past few matches, we’re not scoring enough goals and we are losing so it definitely hurts our confidence. This is a snowball that just keeps going. We have enough good and experienced players who should know how to stop it and I hope that on Saturday when we play Ashkelon we can get back onto the winning track. I hope that will be the case.”

Rumors surrounding the Club:

“I’ve been in football for a very long time and I don’t comment on rumors. Right now we don’t look good but we believe in ourselves. There is an 8-point gap in the League and we were eliminated from the Toto Cup today and I hope that things will begin to look better.”

Falling out of the Toto Cup:

“I want to win every title but it’s not that bad as it’s more important to get things back to normal in the league and stay close to Beer Sheva.”

“We are going through a rough time but we believe that we can find a way out this situation.”

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There were plenty of disappointed faces in Kiryat Shemona after Maccabi was knocked out of the Toto Cup Tournament, falling to the hosts 1:0. The Yellow & Blue were eliminated on away goals and will now look ahead to Saturday’s League clash with Hapoel Ashkelon.

Gal Alberman, the team’s Captain spoke about the situation he and his teammates are currently in: “I wouldn’t say that we are in despair. We’re going through a rough time right now to say the least and I don’t think we should be giving up. We have to stay together, united and believe in ourselves. There are enough veteran players here that are committed to the fans and the Club. The supporters that came today cheered us on in some terrible weather. We need their support and for them to be behind us especially over the course of the next two matches.”

About the Club’s recent run:

“I thought we would be on our way after winning in Kiryat Shemona last week. We will have to get back on track.”

On the team’s faith in Coach Arveladze:

“Of course we believe in our coach. We’ve proved that we can play attractive football with the players and staff that are here. We aren’t looking for easy solutions. We have a good coach who has been able to find ways to get quality results out of the Club and there’s no reason as to why we can’t do this again despite the poor form of late. We understand that we are going through a rough time but we believe that we can find a way out this situation.”

Arveladze: “We are giving up way to quickly”

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The Yellow & Blue Head Coach Shota Arveladze talked about being knocked out of the Toto Cup competition and the Club’s recent results: “It’s hard to express myself right now. It all felt fine before the match but the opportunities just didn’t come.”

Explaining the Club’s form:

“The explanation is simple, there seems to be no desire and we gave up easily. We have to fight more and try more and more. We are giving up way to quickly and I’m not one that gives up. I’ll fight until the end. Our run in this competition is now over. It will give us more time to rest but it’s unfortunate that we were eliminated.”

About his future and that of his players:

“I’m not going to say who should be here and who shouldn’t. I’m not worried about my standing, I’m concerned about the Club and the squad. With these types of results this is what it is.”