Maccabi Tel Aviv FC believes that its community of fans is a crucial aspect in the development of the football club as well as in the international arena. In order to continue to enhance and improve the club’s commercial activities a focus group is being organized to better understand the needs of the fans and the products that are available to them.

The focus group will need individuals from all of the various supporter levels from low, medium, high and very highly involved with the club. The goal is to form five different groups including, men ages 18 and up, women, families and youth. The fans will discuss and analyze such things as the digital experience of the Official Website, the Online Store and the official social network outlets.

The fans will also discuss the various product collections, brand language, type, the nature of the collections and other items that they would want to see available for purchase and make suggestions to maintain and improve the club’s purchase points including the Official Team Stores in Cinema City Rishon Le’Zion, Dizengoff and Kiryat Shalom.

Dor  Micha, who score the lone goal for Maccabi Tel Aviv in a 1:1 Derby draw against Hapoel spoke about the match that was, how the team has played recently, the battle with Beer Sheva and defending the league title:

“No, we’re not angry, that’s how they chose to play and we have to look at ourselves and why we didn’t find a way to win the game. We think they tried to waste time but at the end of the day we had to win this match as we were the better team.”

Comparing and contrasting the last few matches:

“At Teddy we didn’t play that well. Today was very tough. Hapoel had 10 players 16 meters out from the goal and we’ve played teams that have played a bunker before but nothing like this. Against Rishon we played well and had chances also.”

The effect of giving up an early goal:

“They stole a goal at the beginning of the match and if they hadn’t the game may have played out differently. What can you do.”

The battle with Beer Sheva:

“We still have to look at ourselves, as there are two more matches against Beer Sheva and the playoffs. There are plenty of games left between now and the end of the season and if we play the way we know we can play and not give it any points, then everything will turn out ok. The championship is still well within our reach. They are having a terrific year, but I don’t think we really need to concentrate on them.”

Defending the league championship:

“It would really be disappointing but losing the title is a long way off, I have to make sure that I’m focused and ready for the rest of the year and I really believe that we can do this and still win the championship.”

Peter Bosz, the Yellow-and-Blue Dutch coach spoke to the media following his side’s 1:1 Derby draw with Hapoel Tel Aviv on Matchday 22 at Bloomfield Stadium. The Maccabi boss discussed the result, Eran Zahavi and comparing the Hapoel match to the Beitar game from last week:

“This was a disappointing result, 1:1 at home against Hapoel. We started the game terribly and we were one nil behind against a team that played very compact. We scored the equalizer and it was hard to create a lot of chances when a team is playing so defensively. If we would have scored then they would have opened up. We had to play more opportunistic in the second half but we had few chances and weren’t able to score on Haris’s chances and Peretz’s header at the end of the game.”

Starting Barak Itzhaki for an injured Shlomi Azulay:

“Barak is a fantastic player to play in small spaces and he was able to move the ball from one side to the other. Barak is able to think very quickly. Peretz is a player that needs to play more behind the ball.”

Today’s match compared to the game against Beitar Jerusalem:

“What will help me is our way of playing. There was a difference between the game today and the game against Beitar. Hapoel played compact and it was not so easy. Hapoel had very few chances and we did a great job controlling the ball. We did this better tonight than we did against Beitar. But we didn’t create enough chances today.”

Creating more chances:

“I want to see a Maccabi that creates more chances and we must learn how to play against teams that play compact like Hapoel did.”

The thought of playing Eran Zahavi as a midfielder:

“Eran has played as a center forward in a 4-3-3 since I came here. I would not want to put a player that has scored every game in the midfield where he will also have more defensive responsibilities.”

The Yellow-and-Blue were held to a 1:1 draw by Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Big Derby as Maccabi had to comeback from a second minute deficit on a first half goal by Dor Micha. With Maccabi picking up only one point, they now find themselves five points away from table leaders Hapoel Beer Sheva.

Head Coach Peter Bosz decided to give new acquisition Haris Medunjanin his first start as the Bosnian, who will be wearing number 4 manned the midfield with Gal Alberman and last minute substitute Barak Itzhaki filling in for Shlomi Azulay who was injured in the pre match training session. An attacking trio of Tal Ben Chaim, Dor Micha and Captain Eran Zahavi provided the offensive punch while Eli Dasa, Eitan Tibi, Carlos Garcia and Omri Ben Harush started in front of Serbian keeper Predrag Raijkovic.

The match didn’t start out as planned for the Yellow-and-Blue and in the 2nd minute they needed to find a way to dig themselves out of a 1:0 hole. Hapoel Tel Aviv’s striker Aaron Schoenfeld split the Maccabi defenders and beat Rajkovic from long range to give the Reds a quick one goal lead. Ten minutes later Claudiu Bumba’s effort from 16 meters out just went wide of the Maccabi goal.

Tal Ben Chaim produced the home side’s first chance of the evening in the 21st minute when Micha sent him a gorgeous ball in the box, but number 11’s header just went wide left of Ariel Harush’s goal. However, sometimes what goes around comes around and that’s exactly what happened just three minutes later.

Dor Micha looked to find Zahavi in the box but his left sided curler missed the captain’s head and landed in the back of the goal instead to draw Maccabi even at 1:1 as the club’s went into the break with the score as is.

The skies opened up as the second half began and the Bloomfield faithful got soaked in a torrential downpour, but the singing continued as Maccabi looked for a way to to take the lead. Eran Zahavi had a fabulous 63rd minute chance but his effort from 16 meters out just missed the Hapoel goal. Dutch coach Peter Bosz made his first substitution of the evening introducing Dor Peretz for Barak Itzhaki in the 69th minute and then brought on Eden Ben Basat in the 80th minute for Dor Micha to try and jump start the Maccabi offense.

Medunjanin’s terrific chance in the 81st minute from the top of the box went straight into the awaiting gloves of keeper Harush as the pressure continued to build up towards the final few minutes of what turned into a very wet and watery derby.

With seconds to go, Medunjanin’s right side free kick went straight Peretz who headed the ball just wide right of the goal as the final whistle sounded to end the match with the two sides splitting the points.

Gal Alberman, the Yellow-and-Blue’s defensive midfielder has been part of a number of Derbies over the years with the club as he talks about its importance along with the transfer window that just closed and the acquisition of Haris Medunjanin:

“It’s an important match especially as we need the points as we battle for first place. It’s an important game for the fans and also for the club. Playing in a Derby is nothing new for me as I’ve been a part of many Derbies in my time but it’s crucial for me as a veteran player to be able to give guidance to younger players about what a Derby means.”

About Hapoel Tel Aviv:

“We don’t know exactly what type of team we are going to play against as they have signed so many new players to their squad, but for us it doesn’t really make much of a difference. We have to continuously look at ourselves and make sure that we are ready and prepared. I’m sure that’s what we will all see in this upcoming Derby.”

The transfer window that just closed:

“During the January transfer window we knew that there would be one or two changes to the squad but nothing like changing up half of the team. We’re used to these types of changes over the last few years and we also pretty much knew where the changes would take place and what type of players we needed to bring in so it wasn’t much of a surprise.”

Welcoming back good friend Haris Medunjanin:

“We were good friends when he played here the last time, but over the past 3.5 years we haven’t really been in touch. It’s good to see him back here and also to find out what he’s been up to over the last few seasons. He is a very good talented player who will help us and is the type of player you want to have with you on the pitch. He’s also wants the ball in any type of situation. These are the characteristics of a player that we want to have with us especially during these upcoming decisive moments. He’ll add a lot to the team and he’s truly a good friend.”