Head Coach Shota Arveladze addressed the media after his side’s 5:0 Derby victory on Matchday Five of the Ligat Ha’Al at the Netanya Stadium. Aside from the match the boss also discussed Eli Dasa, Dundalk, the fans, Tal Ben Chaim and the Derby’s second half:

Second half performance:

“I think we are still trying to play Maccabi football. If somebody fits, they fit quickly, but credit to all of the others. Micha from the right side had 18 assists, Haris had similar numbers. This team assist the strikers to have these numbers. It’s a great pleasure to be at this game, but it’s just a nice day and we have nothing to celebrate yet. All the credit goes to the boys with a busy week after a disaster. We had 20 available to play and we have to also give credit to the medical staff for that. The brain makes everyone stronger and not just the muscles. We fly in a couple of days and we wanted to give our fans a show.”

Shota’s team:

“If it was the last day of the season then maybe yes. But you know that everyone wants to do their best with ups and downs. Nothing is done yet. We still gave plenty to go.”

Tal Ben Chaim:

“Nothing is better than starring in your own country and I never had this in my life. The applause at home is the sweetest in my opinion. I would never stop anyone to go but I think he’s happy to be here. Right now it’s a good combination and I don’t want to guess what will be in the future, but he’s doing his best and will play the best that he can for us.”

About the fans:

“The fans give us a lot of energy, the applause and atmosphere is the biggest prize for each of us and I hope we can continue to have this for the rest of the season.”

Dundalk coming up on Thursday:

“I haven’t really seen or concentrated on our Europa League opponent because we had so many games in the last week. I’m familiar with Irish football but we can’t change much in our game, perhaps some strategy, but at the end of the day this is a European game and we have three days to think about it.”

Allowing more players on the active squad:

“Why is it allowed in the World Cup but not in regular leagues? That’s the question that’s being asked. I just have to think as to what is best for the team. The players respect the club and each other and as along as they do that we will respect them as well. We have good communication and I try to explain and some will disagree with me, but I can’t change the rules.”

Eli Dasa:

“I don’t see him down and I never mentioned the red card to him either privately or in a group. He’s a good clever boy and picked up the red card. He’s getting more experience and he’s a special player. He had a hard time at the beginning when he was out but has been playing well lately.”

The Yellow & Blue blasted Hapoel 5:0 on a pair of braces by Tal Ben Chaim and Vidar Kjartansson while Nosa Igiebor opened the scoring in the 5th minute as Maccabi will now focus on Thursday night’s Europa League clash in Ireland against Dundalk.

Prematch

Head Coach Shota Arveladze had Serbian Predrag Rajikovic in goal with a defense corps of Eli Dasa, Tal Ben Haim, Eitan Tibi and Omri Ben Harush in front of him. Captain Gal Alberman was in his defensive midfield position with Haris Medunjanin and Nosa Igiebor by his side as a strike force of Oscar Scarione, Tal Ben Chaim and Vidar Kjartansson provided the offense.

First Half

Maccabi came out of the box flying as it didn’t take long for the Yellow & Blue to score their first goal of the evening. Ben Chaim’s 5th minute cross in the box was poorly cleared by Gal Shaish as he put the ball right onto the feet of Igiebor who made no mistake from in close to give the hosts a 1:0 lead.

In the 14th minute Ben Chaim looked dangerous again on the left wing as his terrific pass to Medunjanin at the top of the box was errantly put over the bar to keep the score as is. Three minutes later Hapoel had their first chance of the night as Hen Ezra tested Rajikovic but the shot stopper was up to the task as he made the sharp angle save.

Ben Harush and Ben Chaim each had chances in the 25th and 33rd minutes respectively but couldn’t find a way to get the ball past the Hapoel defense while Schoenfeld’s low shot in the 40th minute just went to the left of the goal. Scarione then tripped up Marko Simic, but his screamer went over the bar while the 45th minute saw an unbelievable cross by Medunajanin find Kjartansson’s head but the ball just went out as the sides headed into the break with Maccabi maintaining a 1:0 advantage.

Second Half

The Yellow & Blue began the second half just as they finished off the first with oodles of chances. Scarione’s scorcher was brilliantly saved by Ariel Harush while Ben Chaim’s follow up just missed the mark. Orel Dgani then found an open Dolly Manga in the box for Hapoel but his header went out to safety. Medunajnin had an opportunity at the other end of the pitch but his effort was blocked by the Reds defense.

However, if you thought that Maccabi wouldn’t find the back of the goal after ten minutes of scintillating football then you’d be wrong. In the 55th minute, Medunjanin led winger Ben Chaim who turned on the jets, pulled Harush out of position and easily slotted home the ball for a 2:0 lead.

And if you thought that Ben Chaim was done for the evening, you’d be wrong again! Medunjanin’s corner was cleared by the Reds defense right to Ben Chaim who used every last lace on his boot to fill the Hapoel goal with his scorcher from long distance to give Maccabi a 3:0 advantage in the 64th minute.

Eyal Golasa was introduced in the 70th minute in favor of the match’s first goal scorer Nosa Igiebor while just one minute later Kjartansson’s header almost found home but just went wide of the right post as the Icelander looked to join the goal scoring party and that’s what he did four minutes later with a Golazo of his own!

Birthday Boy Barak Itzhaki came in for Ben Chaim in the 80th minute and three minutes later Kjartansson would match number 11’s effort as number 24 headed home his second goal of the night off a superb Scarione pass to give the Yellow & Blue the 5:0 Derby win.

Thursday night the Yellow & Blue will play Dundalk in Dublin on Matchday Two of the Europa League Group Stages.

The Big Tel Aviv Derby is back and on Sunday at 21:00 Maccabi will host Hapoel at the Netanya Stadium in the first league Derby of the season. Shota Arveladze and Gal Alberman looked ahead to their Matchday Five clash as the Georgian boss’s comments are in English in the video while a transcript of Alberman is below:

Gal Alberman: “The Derby always has extra meaning and the three points are very important to us. We are working hard to pick up each and every point. We really aren’t focussing on the opponent at all.”

Favorites:

“In the years I’ve been here, there have season’s when one side was much more dominant and I don’t really remember ever having played in an easy Derby. The small details decide these games and that’s what the case will be tomorrow.”

Rivalry with Beer Sheva:

“We are dealing with football. The media enjoys a good battle at the top of the table and there are some very good quality teams, but we are concentrating on our work on the pitch. Since Eran and other players left we have been trying to fill their void. This is what we are dealing with.”

Maccabi after Eran Zahavi:

“We all worked together as a team even when Eran was here. His influence has certainly positively affected some of the players and we knew that we would find solutions both on and off of the pitch. Scarione and Vidar didn’t come in to necessarily replace Eran. They came to complete a newly built team. As of now we’re happy with the results and we are continuously striving to improve.”

Eran Zahavi came on board to discuss the upcoming Derby, his time in China and the special bracelets that Maccabi is selling to help EZ7 raise money for needy families as the Holidays approach:

“Of course I miss the Derby. It’s always a fun game to take part in. The week before you already feel the energy and emotions leading up to the match, but now I’m participating in a different Derby which is the second leg of the Cup. However, you can be sure I’ll be following the Tel Aviv Derby from China.”

The campaign in China:

“In another month the season ends, but now’s not the time to sum up the season just yet as we still have a number of goals ahead of us. When it ends, I’ll take a look and sum up the season from my perspective.”

In touch with Maccabi players:

“I’m in touch with many players and they are a part of me. I still feel like I’m part of the team. I may have left but I feel that I’m still connected to the club and I’m very happy about that.”

Zenit match:

“I didn’t see the end of the match and when I saw the result in the morning, it was crazy. But you have to remember that for 75 minutes the players put on a great show and that’s what you have to take from the game. It was a one in a million chance that a team that is winning 3:0 would fall 3:4. It happened but the season continues on.”

Perhaps missing a leader:

“I don’t think that it was an issue of missing someone on the pitch. But like I said, it was like a one in a million chance that it would happen. I really don’t see it like that at all.”

Raising money for needy families before the Holidays by buying special Eran Zahavi bracelets:

“Maccabi is the first Club to take part in the bracelet project and I want to thank them very much. The project’s goal is to help families who do not have food to eat on the upcoming holidays and if we can help some people then we’ve succeeded.

If you buy 5 bracelets you receive a chance to win a trip for two to see me play in China. Maccabi has a great crowd that thinks of others and this is a way for everyone to help out. I hope that we can raise a lot of money before the holidays for Pitchon Lev and help these families out. The bracelets will be available at the Derby and also at the Maccabi Tel Aviv Official Team Stores”

Derby result:

“Putting the ball in the goal is the most important thing to do in a Derby. Maccabi is playing well and they have a good team, I really don’t think they will have a problem. My guess is 2:0 for Maccabi.”

Avi Meller joined the show to discuss Maccabi’s Matchday Two Europa League opponent, Dundalk:

“I broadcasted one of the game’s against Legia Warsaw and I saw that this may be a bit of an amateur team with not many full timers but they played very solid and attractive football. They shouldn’t be at the level of Maccabi Tel Aviv because their budget and experience is much less. But they are the Champions of Ireland which is a league that is comprised of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and Dundalk is currently leading their league as well.”

Looking at Dundalk and their accomplishments:

“They are a good team but it all has to all be taken into proportion. They are the first team to make it into the Playoff Round of the Champions League and they picked up a point against Alkmaar which is also historic. Their left back is a basketball coach, some are teachers, electricians and so forth. The whole city of Dundalk which sits on the border of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland has a population of 36,000.”

Expectations in Ireland:

“Maccabi is the favorite but they will still have to come and perform, however, there are a lot of intangibles at play for Dundalk. They will fight hard and attack at home. If you put the stats into a computer Maccabi should win, but the games are played on the pitch and if they take a point away in Ireland that would be a good result.”

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv’s new coach Guy Tzarfati came on board to discuss his return to Yellow & Blue:

“I feel really good to come back to the place I grew up. It’s exciting and I’m ambitious to help out the department. I hope that I’ll succeed.”

Patrick Van Leeuwen’s vision and how Tzarfati joins in the quest:

“The Department is going through a change and I’m thrilled to be able to join the Under-19 squad. There is a certain path that Maccabi wants to go down and be the best Youth Department in Israel and we are all aiming for the same goal.”

It’s all about principles:

“There is a certain DNA here at Maccabi that gives everybody the desire to win titles and be the best that they can be. There has to be a road map, principles, behavior, match play and training. Patrick is making sure that the whole department runs on one system so that when players advance they can make the transition through each level as efficient and effective as possible and that we are giving them the correct tools to do so.”

Putting the Yellow & Blue back on:

“There’s no question that I’m excited and it’s a feeling that I remember from the past as it’s not something that you forget. It’s fun and it really warms my heart.”

Saturday’s contest against Bnei Yehuda:

“The goal here at the Youth Department is to improve. Of course we want to win but we have to make sure we stay true to our principles. We will come into the match prepared and ready to go but again we have to stay as close as possible to our principles and our way of playing.”

Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv – Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv, Schunat HaTikva, 15:00

Guy Tzarfati will man the Yellow & Blue sidelines for the first time, as his club heads to Schunat HaTikva for a match against their city rivals in Orange. The Under-19 team will look to build on their fine performance from last week when they defeated Rishon Le’Zion 6:0.

Maccabi “Yoni” Netanya – Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv, Shapira, 08:30

Following his team’s win on Matchday One, Eliezer Ben Aharon and his Under-17 side will head to Netanya to play their counterparts from the Diamond City.

Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv – Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv, Schunat HaTikva, 08:30

In an additional matchup at Schnunat HaTikva between two of the youth department clubs, Alon Brumer’s charges will look to continue their winning ways in the “Little Derby” after defeating Beitar Ramle last Matchday.

Hapoel “Dani” Jerusalem – Maccabi “Eldad”, Kiryat Yovel, 12:30

The Under-15 South side will visit Kiryat Yovel in the capital city on Saturday for a matchup against the young Yellow & Blue’s counterparts. Uri David, who will be coaching the team spoke about the new season that will open up this week: “I’ll be continuing with youngsters that I coached last season. Last campaign was successful but now we are beginning anew. Patrick’s philosophy has changed everything and we’ve worked with the players on the new path and direction that we will be going on. The squad is very talented and I hope that we can raise our level a few steps prior to the two Under-15 sides being combined at the end of the season.”

Feelings towards the upcoming season:

“For me personally, I’m beginning my ninth year with Maccabi and it’s still very exciting. I think that we’ve started the year very well and that we are headed in the right direction. Patrick brings a tremendous amount of knowledge that will dramatically help the youngsters as well as the coaches. We feel that with hard work, we will all help bring the whole youth department to new heights.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv North – Beitar “Oren” Tubruk, Kiryat Shalom, 10:00

The North Under-15 club will begin their season with clash against Beitar Tubruk at Kiryat Shalom. Amir Sofer joined the club in the middle of last season and has had a nice amount of success in his short time so far at Maccabi. He’ll have a new challenge in front of him as the players Sofer will be coaching are all brand new: “Just like every season, we are excited to get started and I hope that I”ll have the same feelings if I am still coaching 30 years from now. Starting a new season is not only a challenge because of the new players but also because of all of the other changes in the youth department system. This will also be challenging for the players. Things continue to improve from practice to practice and are looking good. It will still be some time until we get to where I want the club to be but we are making very good progress.”

Sofer also expanded on the fact that he’s starting his first full year at Maccabi:

“There’s no question that that’s the best way to come into a new team, to be there right from the get go. Working with the players from the beginning of the year will certainly make a big difference and it helps the coaches conceptually as well. Patrick has given us a lot of new information that we are learning and then giving over to the players. There’s also a learning curve on the philosophy of Maccabi for the coaches. I’m really enjoying the fact that the players are happy about the changes and that they are learning a whole new philosophy.”