A day before the opening whistle of the return leg between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Slovenian side Gorica in the first round of Europa League qualifying, the Club’s players had their final training session at the Sports Park Stadium in Nova Gorica where they’ll play tomorrow.

Prior to the practice, Head Coach Shota Arveladze held a pre-match press conference where the Georgian answered the local journalist’s questions concerning his team’s advantage coming into this encounter from the first contest:

Eitan Tibi, the Yellow & Blue central defender spoke to the Club’s Official Website prior to heading for Slovenia and a second leg date on Thursday night at 19:30 against Gorica. He discussed taking more of a leadership role, Carlos Garcia and his feelings heading into this week’s match:

“We certainly have an advantage after the last match but we are coming into this contest to perform well and not to be complacent. We have to make sure we show up and not think about the potential next match but concentrate and focus only on the game against Gorica. That way everything will be ok.”

About the opponent:

“There were definitely times when Gorica had some opportunities to hurt us and we have to make sure that this won’t happen on Thursday. Like I said before we can’t be complacent.”

Carlos Garcia leaving the Club:

“On a personal level Carlos leaving was not easy especially after playing with him the last four seasons. It was a lot of fun to play beside him but in football it’s not always in your hands. He decided to move on and I wish him a tremendous amount of success.”

Taking more of a leadership role:

“It’s definitely positive pressure for me which I enjoy and I hope that I’ll do it the best that I can.”

Twitter is used by more than 310 million people each month and the amount keeps growing day by day. Maccabi Tel Aviv’s followers throughout the world have been craving a way to interact with the club and show their support for Israel’s number one sports franchise in every corner of the globe. Now is your chance to join the Yellow & Blue’s Twitter community and be part of the latest news, views and action. There will also be surprises and tons of fun so join the Twitter revolution now by clicking on the following link

Not only is Twitter a must sports teams in Europe, North America and beyond it’s a social media platform for journalists, activists, techies, celebrities, and more. Twitter is a powerful vehicle that drives sports today and is a unique way for fans to interact with the team, players, personalities and of course their fellow supporters.

Twitter allows teams to react with fans in real time and some of the conversations are golden. It also allows gives the ability for teams to listen and act easily to it’s fans both in Israel and thousands of miles away.

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We may be late but as they say, better late than never. Right?! So open up your day planners because there’s plenty going on in the month ahead:

July 7: Slovenia, the second leg against Gorica in the first round of Europa League qualifying matches

After a 3:0 victory in the first leg, the Yellow & Blue will head to Slovenia for an away encounter with one goal in mind; finish the story and punch their ticket to the second round. Of course, we’ll be there to make sure you get all of the pictures, interviews and updates from Slovenia directly to the App and the Club’s Official Website.

VIDEO: Maccabi Tel Aviv’s 3:0 victory over Gorica

July 14 & 21: Round Two of Europa League qualifying: Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan or Teuta from Albania?

As long as everything goes according to plan away in Slovenia, Maccabi will face either Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan or Teuta from Albania in the second round. Kairat Almaty defeated Teuta away in the first leg of their two legged first round tie and will have a significant advantage going into their home match. In any case, the first leg of the second round will take place on Thursday July 14th with the return match on July 21st. So who will it be and where will the matches take place? We’ll let you know soon.

July 15: Europa League Third Round qualifying draw

Following the first leg of the Europa League second round qualifying matches, should we be there of course, Maccabi representatives will head to Nyon, Switzerland for the third round qualifying draw to determine who’ll be the Yellow & Blue’s next opponent should they advance. Let’s stop right here so we don’t jinx it. Just write it down so you’ll know.

July 30: Toto Cup First Round

The competition that precedes the opening whistle of the regular season will begin at the end of the month, although it’s unclear if Maccabi will play on Saturday or on one of the following days. However, just so you know, in general the first match of Toto Cup tournament is usually a Derby. Will it be the same case this season? We’ll find out when the match schedule is released later in the month.

Also as a reminder, if you’re wondering how to get to the matches in Netanya, we’ve already figured out the quickest, easiest and most convenient way. Maccabi Tel Aviv in conjunction with FANZONE and Israel Railways have made shuttles available to take you directly from the Netanya train station to the stadium and back. How can you sign up? All the details are right here.

Hold on, wait a minute, don’t close your diaries just yet. Do you want to see your favorite players at Kiryat Shalom? This month, the Community Day as well as the players visiting the Official Team Stores will be return and all of the information and dates will be released over the course of the month. So make sure to follow the App and the Official Club Website.

On June 25, 2012 a Spanish defender named Carlos Garcia signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv. On Sunday, after four years, three championships, a State Cup and a Toto Cup along with appearances in the group stages of both the Champions League and Europa League and after 160 matches in Yellow & Blue, Carlos Garcia leaves Maccabi.

The central defender held an emotional press conference where he spoke about his departure from the Club:

“First of all I want to thank all of you for coming today and I wanted to speak to all of you and the fans and that’s why we are doing a press conference, the last one that I am a Maccabi Tel Aviv player.”

Why are you leaving the Club:

“It is very difficult for me to leave the Club and now I am a fan of the Club. In life you have to make hard decisions and I don’t know if I have the power that I once had. I don’t want to feel that I am cheating the fans. It was a tough four years, but the happiest in my life, but we all have to make decisions. I prefer to go now and I hope that people will have good memories of me.”

How do you know when it’s time to leave:

“There are many things that are the sign when it’s time to leave and it wasn’t because Eran Zahavi was leaving. I can’t tell you exactly the moment when, but if I stay here I would be selfish. I am in a good position, I know the league and my family is happy. When you leave your home to work abroad you can do it once but twice is hard. I need a new challenge to make me feel alive and I want to fight again. I just feel that it’s finished. I want to thank the Club and Jordi who understand me and that they gave me the option to come to Israel. The first time I came I was scared you see things in the media, but it was great to be here.”

How will Maccabi cope:

“I hope that Maccabi will be even better. We have many examples from the time I was here. Avi Nimni was a great player and he left. The fans were sad and didn’t know what was going to happen. When Guardiola left Barcelona everyone thought, what will happen now with the Club. But everything was ok. Maccabi Tel Aviv is the biggest team in Israel and that will always be. I will watch the matches and I hope the team will achieve what I know they can achieve.”

Memories:

I have a lot of memories, not only in football but also personal. My daughter was born here in Israel. She can give me her ID card so I can read where she was born. I have a lot of good memories in Israel. The happiest time as a football player was here.”

Thanks:

“I want to say thanks to everyone, to all of the fans and all of the people who sent me messages. I can’t handle all of the love that they have given me. I said the first day I arrived at Maccabi that I may not be the best player or that we will win, but I am sure that I can fight until the end of every game and give 100%. I can tell you I spent all of my energy for Maccabi.”

Comparing Carlos to Shura Uvarov:

“It was an honor that people have compared me to Shura. He is a person that we all wish to be like and see that figure in the mirror. I am proud that people say this about about me.”

Leaving at the right time:

“It really wasn’t about the money and I had another year on my contract here. Places offered me more years but it’s not just about that. I think that now is the moment to leave. Maybe it is a mistake, maybe not. I got everything that I dreamed about and more at Maccabi. When you leave with good feelings it means that maybe it’s a place that one day I will come back to. You never know if Maccabi will come and say that you can’t stay anymore because of your level and I didn’t want that to happen.”

Other options:

“Chicago made a very nice offer, but it’s very far and it’s also a decision that I make with my family. If I would’ve gone there it’s because I know the coach and I wanted to help him. There you fight for playoffs and you aren’t relegated. But it was a tough decision to choose between the two places, but in the end you have to make a decision.”

Relationship with Jordi Cruyff:

“My relation with him may be better now then it was before. We argued a lot. Sometimes he didn’t like things that I did, but maybe it was good that I had the confidence to tell him what I thought, but he was my boss. Now may be the time I’ll have a better relationship with him. It’s a difficult day for him as well that I am leaving and he is with me even though he is not physically here.”

Leaders in the dressing room:

“I hope that they will be able to mange well. Gal Alberman and Yossi Benayoun are in the club and there are people in the dressing room that need to take a step forward. They may be a good player but they have to step up. I know that they have it inside of them and now may be the time when they feel that they must take that step. I have something to say about Yoav Ziv and Sheran Yeini who showed everyone that arrived to the team what Maccabi is all about. How to work, how to train and how to behave like a Maccabi player. Gal Alberman knows how to pass that along and there will be others who will be able to show the way.”

Leaving the dressing room for last time:

“If you had a bet that I would cry or not, well it’s been very emotional. Sometimes we may look stupid when we say to the media that we are family. But we are. There is crying and fighting but there is also tension and we make up afterwards. I wanted to say 100 things but I forgot 98 of them. I want to thank all of my teammates and even though I didn’t speak Hebrew they made me feel at home. I want to thank every player, the coaching staff, Ofer, the medical staff and the other teams. I also want to thank the referees and I was lucky that they didn’t understand Spanish. Critics are part of the life but they make you strong. We are human beings and we make mistakes, but I want to thank you the media who are our conduit to the fans.”

The fans:

“Thanks to fans. I didn’t expect even half of what they gave me and I hope they understand why I am leaving and one day if I reach the level to be able to help Maccabi I’d be happy to be back here. I don’t want to say goodbye, because I’ll see you again.”

Hello everyone,

The last four years that I was with Maccabi, both on a professional and personal level were the best I had in my whole life. I never thought that I could feel at home outside of my own country. The decision that I made was not simple, but I believe it was a crucial one.

Now is the time to give new players with energy and hope the chance to play. It would have been easy for me to stay but it would have not been fair to the Club and the fans as it’s been a very intense four years. I accomplished much more than I expected and it would have been very difficult for me to give 100% and Maccabi doesn’t deserve any less than that.

I’m proud that I represented the Club both in Israel and in Europe and during this time the Maccabi emblem has been tattooed on my heart and it will remain there forever. Today, my time being a Maccabi player may have ended but it turned me into a fan.

I’ll never forget the 4:0 Derby win, the championship celebrations at Ramat Gan Stadium, the local fans who were with us in Frankfurt; those who were proud of how we fought and how proud they were of us even in defeat. The way we advanced and played in the Champions League, the Treble, my first goal at Maccabi and how you celebrated as if it was a goal in the World Cup Final. And of course the goal I scored in the Derby last season; the greatest dream of anyone who ever wears the Yellow & Blue kit.

I want to thank you, the loyal fans from the bottom of my heart for the your amazing connection to the Club and that you were an integral part of us. I always identified with you because I am a very passionate person, warrior and winner that does what needs to be done.

I have to give a big thank you to the fans in section 13. I’ll never be able to explain to you how you made me feel with your support and warm words in both the best and hardest of times. To my teammates who made me feel complete and gave me the opportunity to help live this dream.

Last but not least are my Israeli friends who both opened your homes and your hearts to me and my family; you’ll always be with me wherever I go.

The biggest thank you goes to my wife, who was my fortress with warmth and understanding. To my daughters who no longer call the color yellow, yellow, but Maccabi Tel Aviv.

I want to say that this is not the end but just a goodbye for now.

YALLA Maccabi!

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC can confirm the departure of Carlos Garcia to Alanyaspor after the 32 year-old Spanish defender was given permission and signed for 3 years with the Turkish club.

Garcia, who will hold a press conference at Kiryat Shalom on Sunday at 12:00, told the club’s official website: “The decision to leave Maccabi was the toughest in my career”.

Sports Director Jordi Cruyff told the clubs’ official website: “Carlos joined Maccabi four years ago and has been a top professional of the highest possible caliber and a massive influence both on the pitch and in the dressing room. Carlos has been instrumental to the team and has played a major part in Maccabi’s titles and the fact we had the defense which conceded the least number of goals during this period. The sending off he received from his fellow players and the fans at the end of the match in Netanya is just a testimony to how much Carlos was and still is loved by everyone at Maccabi. We wish him all the best at his new club and in the future. On a personal note I would like to add that as someone who has known Carlos for so many years and has also played alongside him – it has been to pleasure and an honor to work with him and I am sure our paths will cross in the future.”.