Maccabi crowned Champions

Academy back in full action as girls resume training

Following the youth and older boys who returned to action last week, MTA's girls teams resumed training this week alongside the younger boys' age groups, signalling the Academy's full return to action

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Youth Academy returned to full action this week as the girls’ team and the boys’ younger age groups resumed training, while always keeping Health Ministry directives in mind.

The girls are continuing to progress and build in their inaugural season in which three age group teams have been established. The two older teams have been involved in official league action, while the youngest group have played in tournaments and training matches.

The female academy is being run under the guidance of Academy Performance Director Patrick Van Leeuwen and the teams are managed by Dana Nissenbaum, who oversees a group of coaches aiming to nurture the next generation of female players in the best possible conditions.

The Academy is always looking for more girls to grow the Maccabi family and anybody interested in joining should call Dana on 0506-300890.

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Youth Academy returned to full action this ...

Youth Academy sets up international ties

After establishing connections with several clubs throughout Israel, the MTA Youth Academy has spread its wings all the way to Australia and has linked up with Maccabi FC Caulfield of Melbourne

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Youth Academy has set up ties with Australian club Maccabi FC Caulfield of Melbourne with the aim of sharing information and know-how on training and on players.

With international travel currently restricted, contact can only be made on line and the Maccabi Academy technical staff are providing recorded video seminars for their Australian counterparts.

Both clubs expect to hold events in much closer proximity after lockdown measures end with the hope of holding seminars, staff visits and training camps and possibly sharing players.

Michael Kan, Caulfield’s coaching coordinator, expressed his delight at the online seminars and said the coaches were able to benefit from the information shared about the Youth Academy’s activities.

“We have been very pleased to find similarities between our own football philosophy and that of Maccabi Tel Aviv and it is a clear indication that we are on the right track. Our coaches have learned a great deal and they will be happy to hold more such meetings in the future,” Kan said.

“Caulfield’s aim is to give all players the chance to develop and excel through bettering our coaching and tuition. There is no better way to develop than to observe and learn from other clubs such as Maccabi Tel Aviv, who work at the highest level.

“We are proud to have held fruitful partnership between the clubs and we look forward to hosting some of your coaches at our club in Melbourne next year. By having an elite club such as Maccabi Tel Aviv doing coaching workshops here, I believe more Jewish kids will take up the global sport of football and through it we can keep the Jewish community connected,” he added.

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Youth Academy has set up ties with ...

Maccabi on track in 3-1 practice match win over Ra’anana

With two weeks to go to the restart of the TASE Premier League campaign, Maccabi Tel Aviv notched a 3-1 practice match win over Hapoel Ra'anana at Kiryat Shalom on Saturday and instilled more confidence for the title run-in

Maccabi Tel Aviv chalked up an important 3-1 practice match win over Hapoel Ra’anana at Kiryat Shalom in searing conditions on Saturday and gave themselves a confidence boost after a layoff of over six weeks as they prepare for the restart of the Premier League at the end of the month.

Both teams used 12 substitutes each and none of the players played for the entire 90 minutes, allowing them plenty of recovery time as the teams gear up for the closing phase of the season.

Itay Shechter put Maccabi ahead in the seventh minute after pouncing on a rebounding ball after Ra’anana goalkeeper Niv Antman kept out a shot by Andre Geraldes.

The visitors’ Or Dasa levelled the scores in the 35th minute but Shechter added his second goal in the 41st minute after a series of passes saw Avi Rikan put him clear in front of goal and the Maccabi striker was left to slot home.

Nick Blackman, who substituted Shechter in the second half, sealed the result in the 79th minute with a left-footed strike after a good assist by substitute Parfait Guiagon, the under-19 team’s Ivory Coast striker.

Maccabi’s first match in the playoff phase of the Premier League will be against Hapoel Haifa at home on May 30. With all 26 matches in the first two phases of the league completed, Maccabi lead the table with 64 points, six ahead of second-placed Maccabi Haifa, who appear to be their only realistic title challengers. Beitar Jerusalem are third in the standings on 49 points.

Ra’anana are playing in the lower-section playoffs and will not face Maccabi again this season.

Starting lineups:

Maccabi Tel Aviv: Daniel Tenenbaum (Andreas Gianniotis, 46), Andre Geraldes (Itay Ben Hemo, 62), Jair Amador (Sheran Yeini, 46), Shahar Piven (Omer Itzhak, 75), Enric Saborit (Ophir Davidzada, 46), Dan Glazer (Dor Peretz, 46), Avi Rikan (Ruslan Barsky, 46), Dor Micha (Eyal Golasa, 46, Parfait Guiagon, 75), Omer Atzili (Matan Hozez, 46), Yonatan Cohen (Eylon Almog, 46), Itay Shechter (Nick Blackman, 46).

Hapoel Ra’anana: Niv Antman (Assaf Tzur, 46), Daryl Lahman (Adi Nimni, 46), Ido Levy (David Mattheus, 46), Amit Cohen (Shon Klimkin, 46), Yarden Cohen (Roey Herman, 46), Itay Katzav (Ben Binyamin, 46), Snir Shuker (Ben Savir, 46), Diwan Naeh (Ido Ben Yosef, 46, Golan Benny 68), Roey Levy (Lior Berkovitz, 46), Or Dasa (Eugene Ansa, 46), Idan Shemesh (Vitali Ganon, 46).

Maccabi Tel Aviv chalked up an important 3-1 practice match ...

Maccabi Youth Academy resumes training

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Academy reopens training at Kiryat Shalom with the under-19s to under-15s the first to get back into action after the two-month shut down

The Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Academy ended its two-month shut down and resumed training on Tuesday as the Youth under-19 side to under-15 took to work out at Kiryat Shalom.

The training, which is being conducted in line with Health Ministry guidelines, has restarted at a pace suited to the players’ current fitness level following their long layoff and their ability to only do individual work at home.

The Academy’s younger age groups will return to training on Sunday.

“It has felt like a return from the off-season break, only this time, we are back with the same players,” said youth team coach Eliezer Ben Aharon.

“The coronavirus restrictions will change some of the things we will need to do and the team will be divided into two groups who will not intermingle as we start up at an easy pace and try to discern the players’ fitness levels.”

Ben Aharon said that from what he could tell, the players looked in reasonably good and that the pace of exercises would increase as the team gets back to a regular routine.

U17 coach Ori David said it was a great feeling to return to action.

“We are back in our natural environment after two months of not playing and we will be able to do what we enjoy most of all. I have been very surprised to see the players’ fitness levels, they have worked well at home and have shown great self-discipline and diligence in trying conditions. We can’t wait to be back in training,” he said.

The Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Academy ended its two-month shut ...

Maccabi youth focusing on mental strength

During the lockdown, MTA's Youth Academy players are spending much of their time at home. We spoke to mental coach Merav Levy who explained the methods being used to overcome the current challenging period

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Youth Academy is still adhering to lockdown restrictions and activities are yet to return to some kind of normality, which means that the players must train at home. We spoke to the department’s mental coach, Merav Levy, who gave us a few tips how to maintain a good outlook and a good state of mind ahead of the much-hoped-for return to a state of normality.

“It’s important to manage our energy levels and our mood, to stay positive and stay connected to ourselves in actions, enthusiasm and daring, to confront what is in front of us and be prepared to be flexible.

“Uncertainty during the current time, and the thought that matters are not necessarily under our control is a regular situation for footballers so it’s important to develop mental toughness to be able to get over this uncertain period. Mental strength is a set of tools that allow players to utilise their skills at the best of their abilities despite the challenges. It’s what is required for matches and it is particularly useful during the current coronavirus period.

“The ability to identify opportunities to develop when we understand that these are uncertain times is how we can develop players’ mental strength so that they can make the most of the restricting conditions.

“One example was shown by a Spanish athlete, who covered a distance of 61km in his four-metre-long living room by running for 10 hours. Anything is possible with imagination, thought, determination, positive energy and a will to work.

“Mental strength is not acquired at home in front of a computer, it can only be achieved outdoors, on the pitch in training with a specific target in mind. Those abilities need to be honed constantly and cannot be allowed to lapse so we need to be ready for the future now and that means players must be ready to return to action after having had the best preparation possible. We cannot wait for the current situation to pass in order to advance our skills.

“Players must maximise their ability to control a situation. We don’t know when things will return to normal but we do know that in the meantime we can create a new regimen and a new plan that will include all the important aspects for a player to develop. Only when a player feels in control and has confidence, can he be proactive and become effective. This crisis will pass, but our mental strength and our attitude must remain in focus and this is a good time to develop new tools, skills and habits.

“Each player has been asked to write down daily targets and create a routine for regular work, shed negative thoughts and concentrate on training targets to help them improve in all aspects.

“They must train to the best of their abilities to get the feeling that they have worked effectively and have succeeded in fulfilling their set tasks.

“A successful session will give players a feeling of optimism and success that the crisis will pass and that they have been able to maintain their best level of physical and mental fitness.” 

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Youth Academy is still adhering to lockdown ...

Homework 5: Technical moves for the Youth Academy

The Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Academy has produced videos with training skills for the players to be able to practice while the remain at home during the coronavirus lockdown. Watch the 5th video here

Football Network project continues via Zoom

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Youth Academy is continuing its cooperation project with other clubs throughout the country and has held the first of three online meetings to share information and views

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Youth Academy is maintaining contacts with other clubs throughout the country and on Thursday it held the first of three meetings as part of the football cooperation project when Ori David, the coach of U17, shared information about the clubs approach and coaching methods for the older age groups.

The meeting was held with the aid of the Zoom app and it included participants from Maccabi Barkai, Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan, Hapoel Herzliya, Ironi Or Yehuda, Holon FC, Maccabi Kiryat Yam, Hapoel Deir Hana, Maccabi Deir al-Assad, Ironi B’aineh, Umm al-Fahm and Maccabi Amishav Patt.

The project has been overseen by Ran Elias, the Academy’s head of scouting, under the auspices of performance director, Patrick Van Leeuwen.

“After several previous meetings during the season, over the coming week we will hold a three-part seminar as part of our cooperation project. We have just held our first meeting, in which Ori David outlined the Academy’s philosophy. On Monday, there will be an a second session discussing technique and on Thursday, we will examine goalkeeping. We want to continue to share our knowledge with other clubs despite the current restrictions and we want to continue to share information on players and other matters. We hope to broaden the project and hope that other clubs will join in,” Elias said.

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Youth Academy is maintaining contacts with other ...

Maccabi’s 72 years of achievement

Since the state was established in 1948, Maccabi Tel Aviv have registered many achievements and are Israel's most decorated football club. This 72nd Independence Day is an opportunity to highlight some of those milestones

In the 72 years since the foundation of the State of Israel in 1948, there have been 68 league seasons, including the one currently suspended, and Maccabi Tel Aviv are the only outfit to have appeared in the top flight of the league every year.

Maccabi are also the most decorated club with:

Most league titles: 18

Most State Cups: 17

Most Toto Cups: 6

Most goals scored in a season: 100 in 23 matches in 1949-50. They were awarded a 3-0 technical win in one more match, raising the official goals scored column to 103.

Maccabi are the only club to have won the domestic treble when they took the league, the State Cup and the Toto Cup for the 2014-15 season.

Longest duration without conceding a goal: 1,272 minutes, a feat achieved earlier this season.

On the international stage, Maccabi have won the Asian Cup twice, in 1969 and 1971.

Since Israel joined UEFA and started playing in Europe in 1992-93, Maccabi have appeared in continental cup competitions on 20 occasions, more than any other club.

They appeared in the group stage of the Champions League twice, and four times in the group stage of the Europa League.

Interestingly, since independence, the national team has played 500 matches. Of the 6,843 players to have been selected to appear in Israel colours, Maccabi have had 1,217 representatives, 18 percent, while Maccabi Haifa are second with 1,024. Hapoel Tel Aviv have had 742 representatives.

The national team has scored 762 goals and conceded 723. Here, too, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s players have been the biggest contributors and have scored 137 goals. Giora Spiegel and Shiye Glazer have been Maccabi’s most prolific scorers for the national team, with 18 goals each.

Maccabi have also had the highest number of players represented in a national team starting lineup, six. It was in the 3-1 away defeat to Belgium in Brussels in October 2015.

Striker Tal Ben-Haim, and his central defender namesake were two of the players. They were joined by Eitan Tibi, Omri Ben Harush, Dor Peretz and Eran Zahavi. Avi Rikan and Gili Vermouth, also Maccabi players, started on the bench.

Miko Bello, a Maccabi player between the 1960s and 1980s, is at 17 and a half, the youngest player to have turned out for Israel and to have played a full 90 minutes in an official match, when the national team faced Bulgaria in 1966.

Avi Nimni holds the record for most international appearances as a Maccabi player, at 69. He made a total of 80 appearances for Israel while at other clubs.

In the 72 years since the foundation of the State ...

Homework 4: Technical moves for the Youth Academy

The Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Academy has produced videos with training skills for the players to be able to practice while the remain at home during the coronavirus lockdown. Watch the 4th video here

Goalkeepers training: Interview with Israel Ainy

During the lockdown, Israel Ainy, the Youth Academy's chief goalkeeping coach tells us how training continues in trying conditions and confined spaces

While sport remains suspended during the coronavirus lockdown, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Youth Academy continues to operate under the limitations of confinement and social distancing and it’s no different for the goalkeepers and their coaches, who are overseen by Israel Ainy.

Before the limitations were imposed, goalkeeping coaches worked with their young charges in groups and individually, but under the current conditions, there have had to be adjustments and new training modes have been employed to keep the players as fit as is possible.

“We have mixed feelings during this period. We greatly miss our football, the daily routine, the coaching staff and the Academy staff, and most of all, our fledgling goalkeepers. We are facing very a challenging period when people are subject to tremendous limitations, and sporting activity is no exception,” Ainy said.

But activities have not stopped and Ainy is in extensive daily contact with all the Academy’s goalkeeping coaches, Shura Ovarov, Shai Hess, Galil Ben Shaanan, Shaul Hagiel and Eliad Graff. He praised them for the tremendous efforts they are making to try to keep the players in form.

“We are very pleased with the daily contact we have with the goalkeepers and their parents, who are always there to lend support as we carry out six training sessions a week. We have now completed five weeks’ continual training,” he said.

 Watch the Academy’s goalkeepers training in their home environment:

 

“Our programme is mainly geared for the Academy’s under-19s and under-8s, who usually train at Kiryat Shalom and the university, and our aim is to maintain and improve their technical abilities. This is apart from the fitness work they are doing.

“We must ensure the wellbeing of the players and their families. The space limitations are a problem so we have to improvise, but we have seen great initiative from the players and their families as they try to resolve those issues while maintaining the Health Ministry guidelines. Our contact via the Zoom app has been vital for maintaining the goalkeepers’ tactical and mental sharpness. We also get feedback from the Soccer Lab programme which monitors activity and abilities while they train in a mode that is different to what they are used to.”

Ainy said he was very encouraged to see that the coaches’ instructions, particularly concerning mental training, were showing good results and that the players were carrying out their tasks diligently.

“Even the younger goalkeepers make us feel proud and give us a great sense of satisfaction when we see the video clips they send us to show what training they are doing. The Academy’s planning and actions to advance the players deserve much praise.”

On a personal level, the lockdown has allowed Ainy to spend more quality time with his wife, Mali, and his children, Liam and Shira, and he has used the time to improve his own proficiency by discussing training methods with colleagues.

He has also shared the Academy’s work with fellow coaches from Liverpool, Ajax, Manchester City and Marseilles whom he said were “greatly impressed by the dedication and devotion we ascribe to our goalkeepers.”

He summed up by extending best wishes and warm appreciation to Academy technical director Patrick Van Leeuwen.

“The Academy has proven once again that it is a leader and is ready to take on any challenge in complex conditions. We have a strong base and we are dedicated to instilling true values and devotion, which is reciprocated and all this contributes to the robustness of the Academy.

“I also want to wish a speedy recovery and return to health to Or Yitzhak, the under-19 team’s goalkeeper, who has undergone a shoulder operation and is already undergoing rehab with the medical staff. I am certain that we will all overcome this period and I wish good health to everybody.”

While sport remains suspended during the coronavirus lockdown, Maccabi Tel ...