U19 TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANT: GRASSHOPPER CLUB ZURICH
MTA will host a youth tournament for the third year in a row with European clubs joining local outfits in the three-day event starting today (Jan. 23). Here is a brief look at Grasshopper Club ZurichMaccabi Tel Aviv’s youth academy will tomorrow host a three-day international youth tournament for the third year in a row after two very successful previous events.
England’s Crystal Palace, S.B.V. Excelsior of Rotterdam from The Netherlands and Grasshopper Club Zurich from Switzerland will participate alongside the hosts, Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Beersheba. The event will take place at Maccabi Tel Aviv’s PenguinPickUp training facility at Kiryat Shalom between January 23-25.
Here is a brief look at Grasshopper Club Zurich who are taking part for the first time. The outfit is the most successful Swiss side, with 27 league titles. They are currently second in the standings and have included six players who came through their youth development programme. Grasshoppers’ youth team are currently in fourth place in their division and their mainstay are players from the under-17 age bracket.
Grasshoppers are a side well known to our supporters: Munas Dabbur, who played for the outfit, is a product of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Academy and who played for us for two and a half seasons. He signed with Grasshoppers in 2014 and played for them for two and a half seasons too, making 89 first-team appearances and scoring 26 goals. From Zurich Dabbur moved to Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg, and then to Sevilla in Spain. He is currently with Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga.
These are some notable players to have turned out for Grasshoppers:
Shani Tarashaj: The 24-year-old forward joined Grasshoppers’ youth academy at age 13 and made his debut for the full team at age 19. He made 37 appearances and scored nine goals in a season and a half with Grasshoppers before signing for Everton in January 2016. He has since been on loan to Eintracht Frankfurt and Dutch side FC Emmen.
Nedim Bajrami: Macedonia native Bajrami immigrated to Switzerland at young age and spent all of his youth career with Grasshoppers. He signed his first professional contract in 2017. Last August the attacking midfielder joined Italian Serie B club Empoli on loan with an option to buy.
Johann Vogel: Geneva-born Vogel’s first club was Grasshoppers where the midfielder made 133 appearances and scored 13 goals. As a youth, he played for amateur club Meyrin until joining the Zurich outfit in 1992. He later went on to play for a number of European clubs including AC Milan, Betis and Blackburn Rovers.
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth academy will tomorrow host a three-day ...
U19 TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANT: S.B.V. EXCELSIOR OF ROTTERDAM
MTA will host a youth tournament for the third year in a row with European clubs joining local outfits in the three-day event starting on Thursday, January 23. Here is a brief look at S.B.V. Excelsior of RotterdamMaccabi Tel Aviv’s youth academy will host a three-day international youth tournament next week for the third year in a row after two very successful previous events.
England’s Crystal Palace, S.B.V. Excelsior of Rotterdam, The Netherlands and Grasshoppers Zurich from Switzerland will participate alongside the hosts, Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Beersheba. The event will take place at Maccabi Tel Aviv’s 
PenguinPickUp training facility at Kiryat Shalom between January 23-25.
Here is a brief look at S.B.V. Excelsior of Rotterdam, who like Crystal Palace, are returning for the second year in a row. The club have ended the first half of their current youth campaign in seventh place in the Eerste Divisie U19. Last season they had success in the Dutch Cup, getting past fellow-Rotterdam outfit Feyenoord, and Twente before falling to Ajax Amsterdam in the semi-finals.
These are some of the most notable players to have turned out for Excelsior:
Robin van Persie: The striker played for Excelsior’s youth side before moving to Feyenoord. He is the top scorer for the Netherlands national team. Born in Rotterdam, Van Persie joined Excelsior when he was five but left for Feyenoord’s youth academy when he was 16. He made his full team debut at the Rotterdam outfit because of an injury crisis at the club and was quickly promoted into the first team. He made his debut for the club at 17, the first of 15 total starts during the 2001–02 season. After starting for Feyenoord in UEFA Cup final, he received the KNVB Best Young Talent award. After five years at Feyenoord, in 2004 Van Persie moved to Arsenal where he was a prolific striker, scoring 132 goals in 278 Premier League appearances. He moved to Manchester United in 2012 where he made 105 appearances and scored 58 goals. After leaving England in 2015, he moved to Turkey and joined Fenerbahce before making the final stop of his career back at Feyenoord in 2018 where he retired in last May.
Mounir El Hamdaoui: The Rotterdam-born striker joined the Excelsior youth academy in 2001 and played together with his youth friends Robin van Persie and Saïd Boutahar. In the 2001–02 season, he made debut for the Rotterdam side under manager Adrie Koster, scoring two goals in six appearances. El Hamdaoui played a total of 74 league matches for Excelsior, scoring 32 goals. He has gone on to play at Derby County, Willem II, AZ Alkmaar, Ajax Amsterdam, Fiorentina and Malaga.
As an under-21 he played for the Netherlands but switched allegiances and played for Morocco 16 times, scoring three goals. He is currently seeing out his playing career in Qatar.
Luigi Bruins: Attacking midfielder Bruins started playing at age six. He was initially turned down by Feyenoord and joined Excelsior instead. Bruins went through the complete Excelsior youth academy, until he made his professional debut in 2005. He played for Feyenoord, Red Bull Salzburg and Nice before returning to his boyhood club. He played 294 matches and scored 33 goals during his adult career and is currently still active as a player as well as taking on coaching duties of Excelsior’s under-13s.
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth academy will host a three-day international ...
Maccabi youth gain late victory, U16 & U15 win big
Under-19s returned to winning form after last week's draw but they left it very late while U16 were impressive in crushing Ahi Nazareth 7-1 and U15 overcame Holon 4-1Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar” 2, Hapoel Ramat Gan 0: The under-19 side dominated throughout in Saturday’s league clash against Hapoel Ramat Gan but only secured their 2-0 victory thanks to very late goals scored by substitute Shaked Navon who struck in the 89th and 91st minutes.
Maccabi have now won nine of their 17 league outings this season and have amassed 34 points to put them in second place in the standings but they have played one more game than leaders Maccabi Haifa, who are on 39 points and Hapoel Tel Aviv in third, who are on 31 points.
Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eli Fuchs” 7, Maccabi Ahi Nazareth 1: U16 were mighty impressive against Nazareth in the 18th round of the league and remain in second place in the standings three points off the pace. Maccabi’s goals were scored by Oscar Gloch who netted a hat trick, Bar Lin with two and Lior Aloni and Orel Baya.
Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eldad” 4, Holon Yirmiyahu FC 1: More success for U15 in the 14th league round keeps them in fourth place in their division. Goals were scored by Agam Hanoun with two, and Osher Bruchim and Ron Rabinovich.
U17 did not play this weekend because the national team was in action.
Hapoel Rishon Lezion – MTA U14 South 1:0
Hapoel Tel Aviv – MTA U14 North 1:2
Ashdod FC – MTA U13 South 1:2
Hapoel Raanana – MTA U13 North 1:5
MTA U12 South – Beitar Maale Adomim 19:3
Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv – MTA U12 North 0:7
Hapoel Tel Aviv – MTA U11 South 3:10
MTA U11 North – Ness Tziona 11:1
Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar” 2, Hapoel Ramat Gan 0: The ...
Late goals give Maccabi youth victory over Hapoel Ramat Gan
Maccabi Tel Aviv's youth side dominated throughout in Saturday's league clash against Hapoel Ramat Gan but only secured their 2-0 victory thanks to very late goals scored by substitute Shaked NavonMaccabi Tel Aviv’s under-19 side were in complete command of their youth league clash with Hapoel Ramat Gan at their Ness Ziona home base on Saturday but only found the net with two very late goals to set them back to winning ways.
Maccabi had more than a handful of chances in the first half, as the dangerous Parfait Guiagon looked particularly potent but none of his four attempts managed to find the target. At the other end, Ramat Gan had a solitary attempt.
The second half was a similar affair, as Maccabi piled on the pressure to set up a similar number of chances, but the breakthrough came only in the 89th minute when Shaked Navon, who came on as substitute six minutes earlier, tapped in for 1-0 after an excellent pass from Or Roizman.
Guiagon provided Navon with his second goal seconds after the game entered injury time and he made no mistake once more.
Maccabi have now won nine of their 17 league outings this season and have amassed 34 points to put them in second place in the standings but they have played one more game than leaders Maccabi Haifa, who are on 39 points and Hapoel Tel Aviv in third, who are on 31 points.
Lineup: Tomer Alon, Guy Itzhaki, Mikel Mor, Itay Ben Hemo, Rotem Yatzkar, Afek Sapir Navot (Niv Berkovitz, 75), Shai Balahssen (Or Roizman, 45), Asaf Hershko (Nadav Nidam 61), Tal Torgeman (Omri Ram, 45), Parfait Guiagon, Ronen Hanchis (Shaked Navon, 83)
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s under-19 side were in complete command of ...
U12 NORTH NAMED DECEMBER PIZZA PREGO TEAM
Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Academy's heads have chosen North under-12s as their outstanding team of the month, an initiative sponsored by Pizza PregoMaccabi Tel Aviv’s under-12 North team have been named the outstanding team of the month by the club’s Youth Academy, a prize sponsored by Pizza Prego.
Academy heads Patrick van Leeuwen and Guy Zuckerman picked the side that train at Tel Aviv University and the boys celebrated with a meal sponsored by Pizza Prego on Wednesday.
They are the third team to feature in the pick for the prize and follow in the footsteps of Boys Under-13s South, the inaugural winners, and Boys Under-9 South, who won last month.
Each month Van Leeuwen and Zuckerman choose their outstanding team for the period but results are not necessarily the main factor when they make their pick, rather, the behaviour of the boys and their demeanour off the field of play too.
“Each month we will pick a side not only according to their results but also through their behaviour and the way in which they train. These will be our criteria to pick sides either from the southern base at Kiryat Shalom or the northern branch at the university,” Zuckerman said.
“Our cooperation with Pizza Prego has been very fruitful from our perspective, and we are very pleased that we can reward the kids and give them a good feeling. It helps team bonding and shows commitment by both parties,” he added.
U12 North are coached by Adi Somekh and his assistant, Dor Etzioni.
The team have advanced through three rounds in the State Cup and are so far unbeaten in the league.
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s under-12 North team have been named the ...
Youth Academy fixtures this weekend
Maccabi Tel Aviv's under-19s host Hapoel Ramat Gan at Ness Ziona at noon on Saturday, while U16 & U15 are at home respectively to Ahi Nazareth and Holon Yirmiyahu FCMaccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar,” the club’s under-19 team, host Hapoel Ramat Gan on Saturday at noon in the latest round of youth league action, and following last week’s 1-1 draw with Hapoel Beersheba, the home team will look to return to winning ways in the 17th round of action. Eliezer Ben Aharon’s charges are third in the standings, while their opponents are in tenth position. The two sides ended their previous contest in the first phase of this season’s league in a 1-1 draw.
U17, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Oded,” have the weekend off due to an international break.
U16, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eli Fuchs,” second in their division, host Maccabi Ahi Nazareth at 11.00 at Kiryat Shalom in the 18th round of action. Nazareth are in bottom place and will hope that the 7-0 drubbing they suffered in the first phase is not repeated.
U15, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eldad” host Holon Yirmiyahu FC at 08:45 in the 14th round in their division. Maccabi’s boys are in fourth place, seven points off the pace, while their opponents are in 11th place and have only two wins to their credit so far.
Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar,” the club’s under-19 team, host Hapoel ...
Take a look: U19 tournament participants Crystal Palace
MTA will host a youth tournament for the third year in a row with European clubs joining local outfits in the three-day event starting Thursday, January 23. Here is a brief look at Crystal PalaceMaccabi Tel Aviv’s youth academy will host a three-day international youth tournament next week for the third year in a row after two very successful previous events.
England’s Crystal Palace, Excelsior Rotterdam of the Netherlands and Grasshoppers Zurich from Switzerland will participate alongside the hosts, Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Beersheba. The event will take place at Maccabi Tel Aviv’s PenguinPickUp 
training facility at Kiryat Shalom between January 23-25.
Here is a brief look at England’s Crystal Palace, who are returning for the second year in a row.
The club play in the English Under-18 Professional Development League Group B (southern section) and after 16 matches, were in fifth place in the 10-team division with 25 points from 16 matches, including seven wins, four draws and five defeats.
Midfielder Brandon Pierrick is one to watch. He became the club’s second-youngest Premier League debutant when he came on to help his side defeat Norwich City on Jan. 1. Pierrick has been with the club for just under a decade and has progressed through the ranks in the Crystal Palace Academy from the Under-9s team to the Under-23s.
The Premier League club’s Academy has an esteemed reputation for producing outstanding footballers, including Wilfried Zaha who has played 334 times for his boyhood club, scoring 53 goals, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (49 Premier League appearances).
Other Academy graduates who have starred in the Premier League include Victor Moses (220 Premier League appearances), Nathaniel Clyne (185 Premier League appearances), Ben Watson (145 Premier League appearances), Wayne Routledge (297 Premier League appearances), and Jonny Williams (12 Premier League appearances; an integral part of the club’s promotion to the Premier League in 2013).
The current England manager Gareth Southgate is also a Palace Academy graduate.
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth academy will host a three-day international ...
Academy hosts UEFA senior coach’s course
The IFA training staff headed by technical manager Willi Ruttensteiner hold UEFA course for coaches at Kiryat ShalomThe Israel national team’s training staff headed by technical manager Willi Ruttensteiner visited Maccabi Tel Aviv’s PenguinPickUp training centre at Kiryat Shalom on Sunday and held a UEFA course for senior coaches.
Over 30 coaches from throughout the country currently undergoing a UEFA coach’s course that is being managed locally by the Israel Football Association took charge of Maccabi’s boys B and C teams from the Youth Academy.
Ruttensteiner was joined by national team assistant coach Alon Hazan and head of training at the IFA, Gil Landau.
The Israel national team’s training staff headed by technical manager ...
Youth Academy results this weekend
Under-19s draw in the league with Beersheba and U17 lose in cup but U16 & U15 score resounding victoriesHapoel Beersheba 1, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar” 1: Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar”, the club’s under-19 outfit held most of the possession in their away clash against Hapoel Beersheba on Saturday but were unable to convert their advantage into victory and ended their league clash in a 1-1 draw.
Maccabi, placed third in their division, scored in the 15th minute when Tal Torgeman chipped the Beersheba keeper after receiving an excellent through ball from Shai Balhassen. But the lead lasted until seconds before halftime when Maccabi goalkeeper Ben Musayof was adjudged to have fouled a Beersheba player in the area and the hosts converted the resulting penalty taken by Netanel Askias.
Hapoel Tel Aviv 2, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Oded” 1: U17 could not continue their good away win over Beitar Jerusalem and were knocked out of the State Cup by city arch-rivals Hapoel in the third round. Hapoel took the lead in the ninth minute, Elad Kaplan equalised in the 23rd but Hapoel scored the winner in the 53rd minute to advance to the fourth round.
Maccabi Amishav Petah Tikva 0, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eli Fuchs” 8: U16 were overwhelming winners with Lior Aloni, Oscar Gloch, and Matan Jerozolimski each scoring two goals and Ido Mizrahi and Natan Buzaglo adding one apiece.
Hapoel Raanana 0, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eldad” 11: U15 maintained their positive momentum from the league with a whopping win. Osher Bruchim scored four goals, Nikita Alexienko scored twice and Maor Ben Nun, Ron Rabinovich, Agam Hanoun, Omer Dinar and Liad Barda added the others.
Hapoel Beersheba 1, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar” 1: Maccabi Tel ...
Youth team in 1-1 draw with Beersheba
Maccabi Tel Aviv's youth team controlled much of the game but were unable to convert chances and conceded a penalty to draw with Hapoel BeershebaMaccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar”, the club’s under-19 outfit held most of the possession in their away clash against Hapoel Beersheba on Saturday but were unable to convert their advantage into victory and ended their league clash in a 1-1 draw.
Maccabi, placed third in their division, scored in the 15th minute when Tal Torgeman chipped the Beersheba keeper after receiving an excellent through ball from Shai Balhassen.
But the lead lasted until seconds before halftime when Maccabi goalkeeper Ben Musayof was adjudged to have fouled a Beersheba player in the area and the hosts converted the resulting penalty taken by Netanel Askias.
Maccabi’s players had almost all the chances to score in the second half but were unable to convert at least a handful of decent chances.
Maccabi’s lineup: Ben Musayof, Guy Itzhaki, Mikel Mor, Itay Ben Hemo, Rotem Yatzkar, Nov Berkovitz, (Afek Sapir Navot, 61), Shai Balhassen (Or Roizman, 82), Asaf Hershko (Nadav Nidam, 85), Tal Torgeman (Shaked Navon, 72), Parfait Guiagon, Ronen Hanchis.
Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar”, the club’s under-19 outfit held most ...
