Maccabi captain Sheran Yeini after playing his last match, a goalless draw, at Kiryat Shmona: "I hope Maccabi will finally win there next season"

Last night's goalless draw at Ironi Kiryat Shmona means that once again Maccabi Tel Aviv have failed to beat their northernmost rivals on their home ground throughout an entire season. Nonetheless, team captain Sheran Yeini is inclined to see this particular glass as being half full: "I'm not really disappointed. It was an intensely fought match and difficult for both sides. Evenly balanced. Kiryat Shmona deserve a lot of credit, and we fought for every ball as well".

Yeini, who will be leaving Maccabi in the summer to play in the Dutch Eredivisie making this his last match at the northern outpost of the Israeli Premier League, added: "There are a number of venues that are always hard to play at and Kiryat Shmona is one of them. I hope that next season my ex-teammates will be able to turn their luck around and win there. We gave it all we had but Kiryat Shmona are a strong side and you have to respect that. Even with the draw we keep our eight-point lead at the top but it's not our way to be calculating points. We want to win the title as quickly as possible".

The Maccabi captain also had a word to say about the visiting fans: "All season the team's supporters have been pitching up at away games and it makes them feel like home ties. There were moments out there that I started to get tired but when you hear the fans it just gives you an extra push to carry on to the final whistle. I feel very close to the Maccabi fans and I'm grateful for all the support they've shown me in the past. And I'll be thanking them again before long, that's for certain."

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Defender Eytan Tibi is patient but determined about Maccabi's upcoming matches, hoping to win the title, including his first with Kiryat Shmona, for the fourth year running

Following their 0-0 draw at Kiryat Shmona last night, and the long road home back to Tel Aviv, the Maccabi squad remain positive about the result and are already looking ahead to Sunday's upcoming 8.15pm kick-off against Beitar Jerusalem at Bloomfield Stadium. Central defender Eytan Tibi, who won the league title with Kiryat Shmona in 2012, knows perhaps better than anyone how difficult it is to play at their home venue. He's the picture of patience when it comes to the title race and prefers to focus on the forthcoming encounters that currently stand between Maccabi and the championship trophy: "If and when we win the title it will be my fourth on the trot, quite an accomplishment for me. I'm very keen to win this one and I'm already looking forward to it".

Tibi, who arrived at Maccabi from Kiryat Shmona at the start of the 2012/13 season, also had a word to say about the ongoing changes at the club: "Each year you've seen a slightly different Maccabi than the season before. Of course it's difficult to take a third straight championship and go for all the domestic titles at once. And that includes one competition Maccabi haven't got this far in for the last decade, the State Cup. This year's Maccabi are a very good side and you can see that in how we have full control of almost every match we play. At Maccabi we're creating a dynasty. We have an important role to play in achieving that goal and that's what's most important to us".

 

 

After Monday night's goalless draw at Kiryat Shmona, Maccabi head coach Pako Ayestaran gave his view of the match: "We were going to take the points and suddenly we lost the momentum"

Late last night the Maccabi Tel Aviv squad made the long journey back to Tel Aviv from Israel's northernmost frontier with a valuable away point in their pockets after battling out a goalless draw against Ironi Kiryat Shmona. At the end of the somewhat laboured contest, Maccabi head coach Pako Ayestaran stressed the fact that an away encounter against a solid side that held the top spot in the table for long portions of the season was never going to be an easy one. It was clear, the Spaniard added, that they would be looking to win.

As for his own side's performance Pako commented: "Maybe in the first half we controlled the game but we didn't find the right passes, we didn't have enough runners behind the back four and they had a couple of good chances on the break  because they are good on the break". After the interval the coach made a number of substitutions he believes had an impact on the course of the tie: "In the second half I think we went for the game but we lost the momentum. I think after twenty minutes we had the game under control. It looked like we were going to take the points and suddenly we lost the momentum". Since the beginning of February, the team's displays on the road have been somewhat less than impressive, with three draws and two losses in five outings. But Pako stressed his belief that the team's failure to win on the night was not down to performances away from Bloomfield in general but simply to the fact that they failed to score.

The head coach once again refused to be drawn into speculation about a third consecutive Maccabi league championship being just a matter of time. Eight points can quickly become five, the Spaniard stressed, and five points is not much of a lead. The team must continue to keep their foot on the gas, Pako insisted, and improve both as a unit and as individuals. That, he concluded, would be the only way to keep the fans really happy. 

Tonight at 8.55pm Maccabi will play their third top-six playoff tie at Ironi Kiryat Shmona. Just ahead of the match, striker Eden Basat talks to the website crew about tonight's rival, about the title race and about the splendid Maccabi fans

In a matter of hours, Maccabi Tel Aviv will come out on the pitch at the Kiryat Shmona Municipal Stadium for their third top-six playoff tie of the 2014/15 season. Just before the players boarded the coach we caught up with striker Eden Ben Basat, who was happy to share with us some of his thoughts regarding tonight's contest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjVct4skGfI

"It's a very difficult pitch at Kiryat Shmona but hopefully the weather won't be too bad. This is a game we have to win and we know how tough it will be.  I have great hopes we'll accomplish our mission in the best way possible. We've already had two difficult play-off ties and we've won both of them. Actually, all the play-off matches are tough because all the teams involved are completely geared up. And so are we".

As for talk in the press that the title is already Maccabi's to lose, the striker added: "You've heard of the expression 'It ain't over till it's over'? Well, I completely agree. Let everyone else think what they wish, our work is to win each match, with the generous help of the great Maccabi fans, who pitch up at every game. You have no idea how important that is for our confidence out there on the pitch".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At a press conference ahead of Kiryat Shmona, head coach Pako Ayestaran talked about the game ahead, his coaching philosophy and the latest squad updates

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbuohpR8NfQ

Maccabi go into the match after three consecutive league victories that see them top of the table and ten points ahead of tomorrow night's rival, who are currently languishing in third place. Asked if he found it strange that as a result the domestic press were suddenly re-evaluating his value to the club, Pako replied: "I know the opinions change from one week to another and you are as good as the last game. This is something we have to live with but for me nothing has changed. I know my potential, I know what I am capable of". And is this his way of educating the local football culture? "Not to educate, to set the ideas I believe in. Sometimes it's a culture that is set in each country and little by little I think there are things that can improve, trying to keep the personality of the country. But these are things that can make the football better, and this is what I'm trying to set. But at the moment the decision I have to take is which ones are going to be the ideas I am going to set or introduce to my team in this training session. And this is what I am going to be focused on, at a moment that's the most important part of the season, to try to get these players in the best performance tomorrow".

The Spaniard was also questioned about his decision to select Yoav Ziv over Omri Ben Harush for the left back spot in last week's encounter with Hapoel Beer Sheva: "The coaches are called coaches because we coach. And the coaching is down to the training sessions. The players that show they are in the right moment I have to try to get the best from them". Nonetheless, defender Carlos Garcia will not be available at all tomorrow due to suspension, along with fellow centre back Yuval Shpungin. The assembled press were curious why Shpungin had seen no first-eleven action throughout the season so far. Pako: "When I arrived he went through an injury, he recovered, he was injured again, he went to have surgery, he recovered. Now he's sick. It has been a difficult season for him".

 

 

 

Just before a cold and rainy final practice ahead of Kiryat Shmona, Yoav Ziv joined head coach Pako Ayestaran at the pre-match press conference and talked about the preparations and the healthy competition in the squad

A day ahead of Monday's play-off encounter at Ironi Kiryat Shmona, Maccabi Tel Aviv's veteran defender Yoav Ziv attended the traditional pre-match press conference together with head coach Pako Ayestaran. Ziv, who was selected for last week's win against Hapoel Beer Sheva, discussed the competition to be in the first eleven and the excitement of getting the nod: "Throughout my time here at Maccabi I've always had the support of the coaching staff. I've always played when I deserved to and I'm happy to have proved my worth each time. I'm happy for every chance I get, sometimes I feel the same excitement as a youth player who gets a call-up for the seniors, which in my case was quite a while ago".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbuohpR8NfQ

As for the competition for a place in the eleven, Ziv said: "We have a squad of twenty-four players who are all capable of making the eleven for any match. It's the competition in training that determines who plays, and it only makes us all better players. That's the bonus for the lads who don't play, the support and encouragement they get, and it keeps the dressing room a healthy place. It's only natural for a player to want to play, but the question is how you deal with the disappointment if you don't. With us it means you show up at the next practice with even more determination to prove you deserve that place, that's what healthy competition is all about".

As for the upcoming tie, Ziv added: "I don't foresee any surprises but if you mean tactical changes you'll have to ask the coach. Our job is to execute coach's instructions. Kiryat Shmona are a top-notch team and they need the points as much as we do. They have enough good players, even if one or two are missing".