The Under-17 Team opens up training
Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv opened up training for the 2018/19 campaign. Head Coach Eliezer Ben Aharon and assistant Jeffery Yishai led the session. Take a look at the photosThe second team of the Maccabi Tel Aviv “Avi Cohen” Youth Academy opened up training as the Under-17 side, Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv began preparations for the 2018/19 season. Head Coach Eliezer Ben Aharon who won the league championship last campaign is in charge for the third straight year while Jeffrey Yishai is now the assistant coach. Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen and assistants Raymond Atteveld and Robin Verheul were in attendance for the opening session.
Ben Aharon talked about beginning again anew: “It’s a lot of fun to begin with a new team and at an age group that I know well. My impression from our first meeting is that the players are ready to work hard and can’t wait to learn as they all want to reach both their personal and team goals. We will be leaving for our training camp in Bulgaria next Monday where we will have three friendly matches. I believe that we can succeed this season and accomplish at least what we have done over the past few years at the Under-17 level. Good luck to the players and the new staff.”
The second team of the Maccabi Tel Aviv “Avi Cohen” Youth Academy ...
Back to Work: The Under-21’s Season is underway
Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv opened up training ahead of the 2018/19 season. Head Coach Guy Tzarfati led the first session along with assistant Nissim Dvash and new goalkeeper coach Shura Uvarov. Check out the photos
The Maccabi Tel Aviv “Avi Cohen” Youth Academy began training sessions today for the 2018/19 season as the Under-21 side Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv was the first team to start preparations for the upcoming campaign. Head Coach Guy Tzarfati, assistant coach Nissim Dvash and new goalkeeping coach Shura Uvarov were all on hand as the squad will head to their training camp in Bulgaria next Monday.
The Under-21 team who won the league title last season, will be comprised of veterans from that squad along with players from the Under-17 side who also won their respective league championship. The session was attended by Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen, together with assistants Raymond Atteveld and Robin Verheul. Head Coach Guy Tzarfati who is entering his third season with the team led today’s session and spoke about his feelings as the new campaign begins: “It’s great to get back to the Penguin Pickup Training Ground at Kiryat Shalom to see the guys and the staff. Today is the start of our journey to put together a team that will battle and that’s also intelligent on the pitch. Of course, the goal is to put an emphasis on developing the players and prepare them to make it to the next level, the first team.”
The Maccabi Tel Aviv “Avi Cohen” Youth Academy began training sessions today ...
Youth Academy Staff 2018/19
Just as the Maccabi Tel Aviv “Avi Cohen” Youth Academy training session are about to open, the department is ready to go. Let’s meet the medical and sport science staffThe Maccabi Tel Aviv “Avi Cohen” Youth Academy has a wide range of departments whose goal is to promote and streamline the development of young players. Just before the Academy teams open up training, the staff is already preparing for the upcoming season. Let’s meet the medical and sport science departments whose responsibilities include the continuous evolvement as per the philosophy of Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen.
Medical Department
The Youth Academy Medical Department staff aims to give optimal attention to each and every player that requires it, from health, rehabilitation, anthropometric monitoring and medical-sport education whether they are in the South or North Branches or if they are players on the Under-19 or Under-10 or any other team at Maccabi.
As far as the staff is concerned there is no difference between players and they will do their utmost to get them back on the pitch if injured. The Club has given the coaches and players a mandate that training sessions must be as close as possible to match conditions as the role of the department is to make sure that injured or ill players return to action as strong and as healthy as possible in order to minimize the risk of future injuries.
Youth Academy Medical Staff:
Snir Konik – Director of the Medical Department
Ben Mor – Physiotherapist at Kiryat Shalom
Tomer Tabib-Rabinowitz – Physiotherapist at the University and Hadar Yosef.
Ze’ev Miller – Sports therapist and medic in Kiryat Shalom.
Nir Neuman – Medic at the University and Hadar Yosef.
Sport Science Department
The Sport Science Department features five fitness trainers and four analysts, who are in essence the operational arm of the department. The staff analyzes everything that happens on the pitch by using a variety of technologies such as GPS and video. They also gather information that is put into a database in order to keep track of the content that has been used in each training session. The ultimate goal is to give the coaches guidelines so they can properly plan training sessions, to analyze what they are doing via the bigger picture, when to do certain sessions during the week and on which day, all the way to analyzing methodology, sets, rest times and conditions.
In addition, there is a staff that helps manage video analysis. The staff films both matches and training sessions in order to build individual or team video clips according to the philosophy of Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen. The goal is to provide the coaches with material and video information for group or individual meetings. The video is also used to test match play according to the predefined specifications which can analyze both quantitatively and qualitatively what occurred during the game itself. This will allow the ability to give both positive and negative feedback in order to make corrections where needed.
Youth Academy Sport Science Department:
Antonio Dello Iacono – Director of the Sport Science Department
Gal Vaknin – Fitness Trainer
Ilan Richardson – Fitness Trainer
Zlil Shushan – Fitness Trainer
Yair Illouz – Fitness Trainer
Asaf Chava – Fitness Trainer
Liran Gindi – Analyst
Shlomi Tubul – Analyst
Nir Sharkuka – Analyst
Dor Hassid – Analyst
The Maccabi Tel Aviv “Avi Cohen” Youth Academy has a wide range ...
Daniel Peretz signs new deal at Maccabi
Peretz, tied his future to Maccabi until 2021 with an option to extend by 2 more yearsDaniel Peretz extended his contract at Maccabi Tel Aviv FC after the promising young goalkeeper signed a new three-year-deal with an option to extend by two more seasons.
On the day of his 18th birthday, Peretz, who played a pivotal role in the U19’s championship-winning-side last season, and has been training with the senior squad in pre-season, told the club’s official website: “I am excited to sign a new contract at Maccabi Tel Aviv and secure my future at the club I have been playing and supporting since the age of 6. Signing this contract is fulfilling a dream for me. Now all I am left to do is work really hard to justify the faith in me and to be able to contribute to the club to the best of my ability”. 
Maccabi’s CEO, Ben Mansford, said: “I am delighted that another talented young player has committed his long term future to Maccabi. I was immediately impressed by Daniel during the training camp in Austria at the start of last season. Daniel encapsulates everything we want at Maccabi, not only is he the best goalkeeper of his age group but also a young man of superb character who embraces hard work and possesses a thirst to learn each and every day”.
Maccabi’s Performance Director, Patrick Van Leeuwen, added: “Daniel is a talented goalkeeper who spent a lot of time improving his ability and character to an extent where all the coaching staff at Maccabi’s Academy as well as the Senior side were impressed by his progress. Daniel’s talent is recognized at international level as he is a regular member of Israel’s young national teams and we are delighted that he tied his future to the club”.
Daniel Peretz extended his contract at Maccabi Tel Aviv FC ...
Playing with the Big Boys: Daniel Peretz’s Experience with the First Team
This coming Saturday, the Under-19 squad will open up training for the new campaign. Daniel Peretz, the Maccabi “Shachar” keeper already began his season with the First Team and was at their training camp in Poland. The young shot stopper spoke about his experiencesTraining sessions for the Maccabi Tel Aviv “Avi Cohen” Youth Academy 2018/19 season will get underway this coming Saturday as the Under-19 and Under-17 teams will be the first representatives to get back onto the pitches. The Maccabi “Shachar” keeper, Daniel Peretz began training a few weeks ago when he went with the First Team to their preseason camp in Poland. After returning to Israel, Peretz spoke about the experience from the hard work, to the terrific conditions and the opportunity to train with the First Team as he looks to help the Under-19’s win the League Championship for the second straight season.
Summing up the experience of attending the First Team training camp in Poland:
“From a professional point of view it was a very challenging experience and the level of the training sessions were very high. The professional conditions at the camp were excellent from the schedule, nutrition, workout room, ice baths etc…I felt as if I advanced and improved.”
About being an Under-19 player and the youngest in the camp:
“This was actually my second camp where I was the youngest and last season I was trying to figure out how I would fit in. This year, I came into camp much more confident and from a professional standpoint I improved tremendously from last year. On a social level I also felt much more a part of the team and that was due to the players.”
The advantages of having the opportunity to be a part of the training camp:
“I didn’t take it for granted and personally it was very important for me to train with the First Team as it gives me an indication as to how I am compared to the other players at this level. It gives me a taste as to what it’s like to be a professional with conditions that aren’t available anywhere else, along with a professional staff and facilities at a very high level. Every little thing was an experience in itself at the camp.”
Being more prepared for the upcoming campaign:
“I feel that I am well prepared for the new season. Firstly, I am coming with more experience than last season as we went through a lot last year with the Youth team. I also feel that I have improved physically, mentally and professionally. In my opinion, the fact that I started the season a month ago is an advantage.”
Expectations for the new season:
“As a Club we are part of Maccabi Tel Aviv and that means we strive for every available title. The first expectation is to win the league championship again that we won last season. Also, this year we will begin playing Champions League qualification matches and we want to go as far as we can. We want to take the State Cup this season after we were eliminated early on last year and we are very motivated to bring the trophy back home. On a personal level, I’d like to continue to be a part of the First Team and to also let in fewer goals.”
Training sessions for the Maccabi Tel Aviv “Avi Cohen” Youth Academy 2018/19 ...
Youth Academy Coaching Staff for 2018/19
In a few weeks the Avi Cohen Youth Academy teams will begin preparations for the 2018/19 season. The coaching staff is complete for the various squads as they’ll continue to develop the young talent through the philosophy of Performance Director Patrick van LeeuwenThe Maccabi Tel Aviv “Avi Cohen” Youth Academy will get back to business during the month of July as they begin to prepare for the 2018/19 campaign as all of the age groups will begin training for the new season. The coaching staff is complete as veterans and new faces alike will help take the youth teams to new heights this coming season under the direction of Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen.
Youth Academy Training Dates:
July 14 – Under-19 & Under-17
July 23 – Under-16
August 1 – Under-15 & Under-14
August 13 – Under-13 through Under-8
Training Camp in Bulgaria:
Under-19 – July 23-29
Under-17 – July 24-30
After winning the league title last season, the Under-19 side will continue to be led by Head Coach Guy Tzarfati and his assistant Nissim Dvash. The Under-17 squad will again be headed by Eliezer Ben Aharon and Jeffery Yishai who will be in is second season with the club as the team will look to keep the league championship at Kiryat Shalom. Eran Sassi will be the new Head Coach of the Under-16 side in his first season with the club while Ben Kaplan will be his assistant coming from the ranks of the Under-15 teams. Ori David will continue with the Under-15 side while Eliran Mizrachi will join him after spending last season with the younger age groups.
Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen spoke about the upcoming season: “We made a number of coaching changes in the Academy. Not so much changing coaches but changes in which the coaches will have new challenges to cope with. For example, there are some coaches who will now be head coaches for the first time and others will be assistants for older age groups. We will continue to move forward in the Academy and will give the maximum to the kids as there will be two coaches on the pitch at all times. This is how we will work at the Academy including with the younger age groups, both at Kiryat Shalom and at the University. This way we will be able to continue to develop players both on team and individual levels.
Performance Staff:
Raymond Atteveld – Assistant to Patrick van Leeuwen and will also be the Professional Director of the Under-15, Under-14 and Under-13 age groups at Kiryat Shalom.
Robin Verheul – Assistant to Patrick van Leeuwen and will also be the Professional Director of the Academy teams at the University Location (North Tel Aviv)
Youth Academy Coaching Staff at Kiryat Shalom:
Under-19 – Guy Tzarfati and Nissim Dvash
Under-17 – Eliezer Ben Aharon and Jeffrey Yishai
Under-16 – Eran Sasssi and Ben Kaplan
Under-15 – Ori David and Eliran Mizrachi
Under-14 – Dedi Ben Dayan
Under-13 – Elad Ben Aharon
Under-12 – Boaz Bracha
Under-11 – Tamir Tubul
Under-10 – Hamda Mari
Under-9 – Eliel Horovitz
Under-8 – Idan Bitton
*Leon Asraf will be responsible for the activities of the Under-8 – Under-12 teams at Kiryat Shalom
Assistant coaches at Kiryat Shalom:
Yehuda Livni, Tomer Rosenboim, Aviad Mashiach, Ron Partok.
Mor Shaked – Responsible for the Women’s Project at Kiryat Shalom
Youth Academy Goalkeeper Coaches:
Israel Ainy – Head of the Goalkeeper Department
Shura Uvarov
Shay Hess
Eliad Graf
Youth Academy Coaching Staff at the University Tel Aviv:
Under-14 – Asaf Heber
Under-13 – Alon Peleg
Under-12 – Adi Somekh
Under-11 – Asaf Propeta
Under-10 – David Etzioni
Under-9 – Idan Kazinitz
Under-8 – Menashe Zinder
Assistant coaches at the University:
Tal Elisha, Dana Nissenboim is also responsible for the Women’s Project at Football School
The Maccabi Tel Aviv “Avi Cohen” Youth Academy will get back to ...
Seven Youth Players Open Season with First Team
Or Dasa, Tomer Altman, Fadi Najar, Prince Thomas, Eylon Almog, Eden Kartzev and Daniel Peretz joined in the First Team’s preparations for the 2018/19 campaignSeven players from the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Department took part in the First Team’s opening training session for the 2018/19 campaign under new Head Coach Vladan Ivic at Kiryat Shalom including Tomer Altman, Fadi Najar, Prince Thomas, Eylon Almog and Daniel Peretz who won the Under-19 title last season. In addition, Or Dasa and Eden Kartzev who began 2017/18 with the U19’s and were loaned to Hapoel Raanana and Beitar Tel Aviv/Ramle respectively also rejoined Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Seven players from the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Department took part in ...
End of Season Tourney at the Yellow & Blue Youth Department
The 2017/18 season was a fruitful and successful one in terms of achievements and quality. Just ahead of the summer break, the Youth Department held their final training sessions of the season which included a special tournament that combined the various age groupsThe 2017/18 season came to close a couple of weeks ago, but training sessions continued up until yesterday as the final Youth Academy session took place together with a special tournament that combined the various age groups of the Department.
The program began with the Under-13 to Under-19 teams in a mixed tournament that included 12 teams with 6-7 players per side featuring a representative from the various age groups. Fifteen minute games were played on 6 pitches at Kiryat Shalom with the winning team awarded the top prize.
After the first tournament, the younger age teams took to the pitches as the 11-13 year olds and the 8-10 year olds also held competitions of their own that also featured teams with mixed ages as the winners taking home some nice prizes.
It was certainly a fine way to end the season and head into the summer break!
The 2017/18 season came to close a couple of weeks ago, but ...
Academy Keepers End of Season Seminar
Youth Department training sessions for the 2017/18 season have ended for the majority of the Academy. Just before heading to the summer break, a special gathering was held under the auspices of the goalkeeping coaches for over 40 Youth Department keepersJust ahead of the summer break, the Youth Academy’s goalkeepers held a special session under the guidance of Israel Ainy. Keepers between the ages of 8-19 took part in the seminar where various important materials were reviewed with the objective of giving more information to the aspiring shot stoppers. The Head of the Goalkeeping Department at the Academy Israel Ainy reviewed the season results and saw how the philosophy of the department impacted the keepers. The other coaches also gave their point of view as to the campaign just before the summer vacation.
Ainy summed up the event: “The symposium focused on some of the professional aspects of being a goalkeeper from the technique and tactical side which included, preventing goals, kicking the ball, building the game beginning with the keeper, adjusting and meeting the high professional standards, the mental side of the game, leadership and coping with pressure.”
Ainy continued discussing his work at the Academy:
“I began working at the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Academy a year and three months ago as my philosophy was in line with that of the Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen and we’ve been able to work hand in hand ever since my arrival.”
Looking ahead:
“Due to the success across the Youth Academy this past season, we’ve set our goals very high to continue advancing the keepers both on an individual and club level. We are looking to continue to achieve new heights with an emphasis on stability.”
Just ahead of the summer break, the Youth Academy’s goalkeepers held a ...
After the Success: Summing up the season with van Leeuwen
After leading the Academy clubs to 4 youth league championships, the Performance Director talks about his optimism in integrating the younger players in the First Team: “There are many talented footballers in Israel”The second season of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Department under the direction of Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen has come to a close and we sat down with the Dutchman to discuss some of the highlights of the campaign, the successful season had by the clubs and much more. Van Leeuwen also talks about what chances the players have in advancing to the First Team, the goals ahead and the path to success.
This is your second season at the Club. How would you sum up from your point of view this most successful season that saw each age group winning their league title?
“I would sum this season up as a continuation of building the program via our football philosophy. Our starting point was much higher this season than last. After a full campaign where our players were able to get used to the philosophy, they came into the season much better prepared at the beginning of the year. We had an excellent training camp in the Ukraine which included the Under-19, 17 and 16 teams. They all had the opportunity to play against top level European clubs and the chance to see how our squads stacked up to theirs.”
Van Leeuwen continued: “In terms of results, we had a very successful season and each age group from the U15’s to the U19’s won their respective championship. Of course, this will create expectations for the upcoming season and we will have to live up to those standards. The professional staff and management added new things into the regimen in order to strengthen the clubs. We are very satisfied with the final results and how we continued to advance our philosophy across the department. Many of the teams played at a very high level and at the end of the season took home the league championship. It’s not because we demanded that, but because we continued to play football the whole season. I believe that all of the titles won were because of our football philosophy and we have been working very hard on this specific way in order to be successful as well as enjoying the game itself. We attempted to teach the players as much information as we could for each specific age group. This way gives gives clear results and we’re talking about 4 individual teams that were successful following this methodology. Our way of football is based on a specific philosophy and now we have good fundamentals in order to continue our work next season.”
At the beginning of the season there was criticism leveled at the department, the results proved them wrong:
“There was some “noise” outside of Maccabi Tel Aviv. Every place where I had worked in the past be it in the Ukraine or Kazakstan, when you make changes there will always be some people who won’t be happy. The “noise” came from people within the club, some of them finished their time at the club and some left voluntarily. They were the ones who tried to create a little bit of “noise”. They tried to make my personal and Maccabi’s success more difficult. I believe that the youth department coaches and players said their piece with the results that we achieved at the end of the season. If you look at our internal success, there were plenty of players that were invited to the various different Israel National teams. We all worked well together to suppress the “noise” around us. Of course, today the reviews have changed to a pat on the back, good words and the desire to be even more Yellow & Blue.”
Is there a specific model throughout the world or a club that you aspire to be similar to?
“The model which we are using has been put together specifically for Maccabi Tel Aviv. We take advantage of the opportunities we have in training to do the maximum. The advantage we give the coaches is that they receive a tremendous amount of both theoretical and practical information. When our coaches went to educational seminars abroad they were able to see that we are similar to some of the best academies in Europe. However, in terms of our facilities we still have a way to go. In addition, during the two years that I’ve been here, one of the positive things that I’ve seen is that there are many talented footballers in the country, not just at Maccabi Tel Aviv but at other clubs as well.”
In terms of the players in the youth department, there were a number of them from the U19 to the U16 level who trained with the First Team. Do you feel that the homegrown players have a place in the top team?
“At the start of the season, players from the Under-19 squad trained with the First Team as per the coach’s request. During the second half of the season, there were players who were consistently training with the First Team like Tomer Altman. There were additional players from the Under-17 and Under-16 sides that also had the opportunity to train with the First Team for a variety of reasons. I believe that these chances definitely gave the feeling that there is a connection with the First Team and that it’s possible to train with them. The feedback we received about the players was of course very positive, about their passion and desire that they saw. The older players who are closer to the First Team in terms of age, were able to see where they need to improve. At the end of the day, this whole process helps show that there is a path from the youth department to the First Team and that there are opportunities.”
The owner says that his desire is to see the First Team made up of home grown players, how do you see this challenge?
“I believe that every talent deserves a chance. The Under-19 team players showed their quality and deserved the opportunity to train with the First Team. Once they receive that chance, the responsibility is upon themselves to prove that they deserve playing time. I think that it’s possible to have a high percentage of youth department players with the First Team over the next few years. It’s a challenge and I believe that it’s within reach. As a club, it’s important to give these players the opportunity. We must create a culture that there are candidates every season so that they can get a chance. If they don’t succeed, there should be an alternative in the second division, where a number of players can have the opportunity to take the next step together.”
What are the short term and long term goals for the youth department?
“For the foreseeable future, the goal is reinvigorate our football philosophy each season and that should be part of our culture. In the long term, we want to create candidates for the First Team from the Academy and be able to give the coach a number of players who he can test out. Another goal which I hope to be a part of is the whole issue of developing the facilities that we have in the department which can be done in parallel to the football development. If we don’t have the right tools to give that extra football development, then other clubs will be able to close the gap due to better facilities and their football advancement as well. So it’s important for the club, the youth players and coaches that we improve our facilities.”
There have been discussions about developing young players through an Under-21 league or an option for teams to register players up to the age of 21 in the lower leagues. Van Leeuwen believes that this should become reality: “There are examples from Germany, Portugal and Spain that there are other teams that play in the second or third division. For example last season in Portugal, Porto’s second team won the second division championship. There was a similar case in Holland when Ajax won the second league title and there isn’t an option for them to be promoted a league, but they are playing at the highest possible level. This is a wonderful chance for players between the age of 18-21 to play at a high level against professional adult teams.”
About the National Teams:
“The National Teams are good for our players. We have many players who are playing with various age National Teams. The Under-17 team was in the European Championship which is the top of the top. They showed that they have ability but I think that the methodology should be more like a team. The players can’t be influenced just through a week or month of training. The preparations need to be very specific because there is potential and quality in the Israel National Teams and you have to make sure that it’s reflected in this type of tournament. It’s different at a football club as there are more opportunities with the players. I think the Football Association needs to look at how to properly prepare a team for these types of important tournaments.”
The second season of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Department under the ...
