Maccabi blank Gorica 3:0 in Europa League Action

Maccabi Tel Aviv began their 2016/17 campaign on the right foot against Gorica of Slovenia in Europa League action at the Netanya Stadium

A brace by Nosa Igiebor and a goal by Portuguese striker Orlando Sa was enough to give the Yellow & Blue a 3:0 win in the first leg of the first round of the Europa League qualifying tournament.

New Head Coach Shota Arveladze named his first starting XI in his first official match as the Yellow & Blue boss which included Serbian keeper Predrag Rajikovic in goal with a defensive quartet of Omri Ben Harush, Carlos Garcia, Eitan Tibi and Dor Peretz playing in front of him. Gal Alberman sported the captain’s armband while Nosa Igiebor and Haris Medunjanin manned the midfield as winger Tal Ben Chaim, Dor Micha and Orlando Sa provided the attack up front.

First Half

After almost an opening quarter hour of tentative play from both sides, Nosa Igiebor broke the ice with a gorgeous 13th minute goal from the top of the box. The Nigerian midfielder came in from the left side and lifted the ball into the top of the goal cleanly beating Gorica keeper Grega Sorcan good for a 1:0 Maccabi lead.

Orlando Sa tried to double the score but his header from a Medunjanin free kick missed the target in the 30th minute. Dor Peretz’s 27 minute effort was blocked by the Gorica defense and was sent out for a corner while Ben Harush’s wild shot went way over the goal in minute 31.

Medunjanin looked to team up with Sa once again in the 34th minute but his fantastic cross was just a little bit too long for the Portuguese striker. Micha tried his luck with a terrific run down the right side of the pitch but his low shot just went wide of the goal 5 minutes later.

Finally the pair of Sa and Medunjanin hit the jackpot as number 70 found the back of the goal giving Maccabi a 2:0 advantage right before the break.

Second Half

Sa had the first chance of the second half as he stole the ball in the 58th minute, but Gorica made sure his effort wouldn’t find the back of the goal while his opportunity 3 minutes later was also stymied by the visitors stingy defense.

However, it was Nosa Igiebor who found the back of the Gorica goal for the second time in the match as the Nigerian picked up a loose ball in the box and slammed it home for a 3:0 lead in the 69th minute.

Coach Arveladze made a number of substitutions as the match continued on as Barak Itzhaki, Eden Ben Basat and Avi Rikan all came in over the course of the last 20 minutes of the contest.

With a 3:0 advantage, Maccabi will look to advance to the second round of the Europa League next week when they visit Gorica in Slovenia on Thursday night for the 2nd leg of the two legged tie.

A brace by Nosa Igiebor and a goal by Portuguese striker Orlando ...

Watch: Maccabi wins 1:0 over Paksi FC

Orlando Sa's first half goal stood up in the Yellow & Blue's 1:0 victory over the Hungarian league outfit

Maccabi Tel Aviv hosted Hungarian side Paksi FC at their Austria training camp for their second and final preseason exhibition match prior to beginning the 2016/17 campaign next Thursday against Gorica in Europa League first round qualifying.

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The Yellow & Blue’s Georgian Head Coach Shota Arveladze started Serbian keeper Predrag Rajikovic in goal with Omri Ben Harush, Carlos Garcia, Eitan Tibi and Dor Peretz in front of him. Eliel Peretz, Nosa Igiebor and acting captain Gal Alberman played in the midfield while Dor Micha, Tal Ben Chaim and Orlando Sa were up front.

First Half

After a quiet opening quarter hour an Orlando Sa right footed blast from the top of the box found its way into the Paksi goal beating the keeper to the left side good for a 1:0 Maccabi lead. Youngster Eliel Peretz picked off the ball in the midfield and fed Sa with the nice pass allowing the Portuguese striker a chance to continue his fine preseason form.

Paksi looked to even up the match with a 23rd minute free kick that was blocked by the Yellow & Blue good for a corner kick which in turn resulted for a quality chance by Zalei Andras but his effort defected off of the bar and out to keep the slim Maccabi lead intact.

Ben Harush lofted a 43rd minute free kick from the right side into the penalty area where Sa’s header was easily grabbed by Peter Molnar the Paksi keeper as the sides headed into the break with Maccabi maintaining a 1:0 advantage.

Second Half

Coach Arveladze made a pair of substitutions to open the second half as central defender Tal Ben Haim replaced Garcia and Barak Itzhaki came on for Eliel Peretz as Maccabi looked to open up the offense a bit. However, it was Paksi with the half’s first chance when Zsolt Balazs opportunity went off the post in the 51st minute.

With Maccabi in search of an insurance marker, Itzhaki’s 60th minute free kick curled over the goal to keep the score as is, while at the other end of the pitch Haviv Ohayon was introduced for Rajikovic. A couple of minutes later, Arveladze emptied his bench with Yossi Benayoun, Eden Ben Basat, Shlomi Azulay, Haris Medunjanin and Avi Rikan all coming into the match.

New keeper Ohayon was called into action in the 65th minute as the 17-year old shot stopper did exactly that on a short angle chance to keep Maccabi in the lead. Ten minutes later Ben Basat had a chance from 15 meters but his shot went wide left of the goal.

Dan Glazer came on for Eitan Tibi in the 81st minute as coach Arveladze continued to see some of his squad in match conditions as the match ended 1:0 in favor of Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Maccabi Tel Aviv hosted Hungarian side Paksi FC at their Austria training ...

VAN LEEUWEN APPOINTED AS PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR

Patrick Van Leeuwen appointed as Performance Director and will run the Youth Academy and will work closely with Jordi Cruyff

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC would like to announce the appointment of Patrick Van Leeuwen (46) as Performance Director. His main role at Maccabi will be to run the Youth Academy and continue its’ development in all aspects but he will also  work closely with the Sports Director Jordi Cruyff to assist with managing  the performance of the departments that support the first team such as scouting, sports science and medical.

The Dutchman, spent seven years as Shaktar Donetsk Head of Youth Department before being appointed in March 2013 as Sports Director at Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan. After retiring in 1996 from a playing a career at Sparta Rotterdam and Helmond, Van Leeuwen began working at Feyenoord’s Youth Department as a coach of the Academy teams for 10 years during which he was also the Head Coach of the Feyenoord China projects as well as Head of Youth Scouting for the Feyenoord Academy.

Under Van Leeuwen’s guidance, Almaty finished in 3rd place twice, qualified to the Europa League once, finished in the runners-up spot last season and won the Kazakhstan Cup in the last two years.

Maccabi’s CEO Martin Bain told the club’s official website: “After careful planning and an extensive search to find a suitable candidate we are delighted to welcome Patrick Van Leeuwen to the club. The investment in our youth department is substantial and we are keen to make further progress in terms of the development of young players. The introduction of Patrick as a Performance Director where he will manage many aspects of the growth  and transition of players from youth to first team and then further their development within the club is essential and Patrick skills and attributes having worked in clubs in Europe will bring a great deal of experience to the club”.

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC would like to announce the appointment ...

Maccabi Youth Department & Taibe Youth

Following the first encounter between the Yellow & Blue Under-12s and the children from Taibe at Kiryat Shalom, the two sides faced each other again in the Israeli-Arab town in a match that brimmed with multiculturalism

Last month, the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Department met their Taibe counterparts at the Kiryat Shalom Training Facility for a contest that showed the importance of multiculturalism in our society. Following the match there were refreshments and a chance for the parents and children to mingle as relationships began to form and return leg would be a necessity.

At the start of this month, Maccabi’s Under 12s visited Taibe as part of the joint programming. Maccabi Tel Aviv’s educational consultant Hen Abdu commented on the importance of these activities: “Just like we welcomed Taibe they wanted to return the favor and host us. This just strengthens our commitment to multiculturalism. The format was similar to what we had at Kiryat Shalom. The program began with the youngsters showing off their ball skills and then they played a match as the Mayor of Taibe and his deputy honored us with their presence.”

Following the program the Organization against Racism and Violence in Sport awarded the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Department with a prize for their work in the area of multiculturalism. The award was given to Maccabi and Taibe representatives at the State Cup Final that was held at the end of May.

Last month, the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Department met their Taibe counterparts ...

Levin: “I am finishing a lifetime of work”

In a farewell interview, the Youth Department Director reflects back on 8 years working at Kiryat Shalom including two stints with the First Team, thousands of young players who trained under his direction and the drastic changes that the Club has undergone over the last few years

Between meetings, handing over material and preparing for his new position with the Youth National Teams, Nir Levin spoke to the Official Website as he looked back on his eight years with Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Youth Department. Just before beginning the interview, Levin continues to sign off and approve registration forms of children who will be part of the Yellow & Blue Youth Department this coming season.

As the conversation begins, we go right to the 2007/08 campaign when Levin began his second spell with the Club: “In September of 2007, I replaced Eli Cohen in the middle of the season and at the end of the year I was offered to take over the Club’s Youth Department. At that point in time I had to recalculate my own direction just like WAZE. It was a career changing decision as I had to decide if I wanted to work with youngsters which is very different than regular training sessions and also combines various management aspects or to continue my career with professionals and Senior Teams.

My thoughts wandered in all directions but right from the get go I leaned towards accepting the challenge. I saw where Maccabi Tel Aviv was headed with ownership, management, professionalism and I wanted to be a part of it. Something about teaching and training was always ingrained in me when I was working with the pros. I always enjoyed going into further explanations and details and younger players always seemed to take a lot out of this aspect. In many of the clubs that I worked in, I knew that investing in the youngsters was the way to go and I really believe in the process. So I made the choice to change gears and work with youth and to this day, I don’t regret this decision. I have received many offers from quality teams in Ligat Ha’Al to join them but it never interested me. This role suits me. I was given the independence, influence and the tools to succeed. I have enjoyed every single day that I have been here.”

The last Israeli coach:

During the time that he was the Youth Department Director, Levin was called upon by owner Mitch Goldhar to take over the Senior side in the middle of the season to replace Motti Ivanir. In fact, Levin was the last Israeli coach to stand on the sidelines for the Yellow & Blue: “I met Jordi when he first arrived and I explained to him what had been happening at the Club over the last few years. He had to digest what was going on very quickly and it was a very stressful time for me. I trained the First Team in the morning and when I finished with them, I worked with the youth in the afternoon. It was a very intense period and I was at Maccabi 24/7. It was a challenging and very interesting and I also was able to make an impact with the Senior squad that really was able to bear fruits for the team. One of the most important things I did was to sit down and speak with Gal Alberman who hadn’t been in the squad and get him back to playing on a regular basis.”

Jordi’s arrival also raised the level of professional and Club demands increased which affected the Youth Department immediately. The connection between the two was natural explained Levin: “The minute you raise the bar for the First Team you also raise the bar for the Youth. The goal of the department is to create a simulation that is as close as possible to that of the professionals. That’s why we sent the Under-19 Club to play against teams like Real Madrid and Dinamo Zagreb. These tournaments are equivalent to a half a year in the Youth League. The style we teach in the Youth Department at all ages is similar to that of the First Team which is to be a dominating and quality side that plays possession football while attacking be it in a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 formation.”

From adolescence to adulthood:

One often hears complaints about the difficulties of integrating the youth players with the Senior squad. Levin has seen hundreds of players make the move from the youth sides to the First Teams over the past eight years and each one is a totally different story: “Having a youth player move up to the Seniors depends on several factors. The first factor is how much is needed in terms of the role. We’re trying to develop players and prepare them to be able to train with the pros. Eliel Peretz is a perfect example. He was a player who caught the coach’s eye and there were injuries on the Senior side. As soon as he arrived he played right away and he also played during crucial points of the season. This is just one player who was able to handle the training and some luck (he came back from an injury with Beitar Tel Aviv/Ramle and trained with the Youth team) so when he had his chance to play with the First Team he took the opportunity with two hands and today he is also part of the Youth National Team.”

The issue of many so called “experts” who intervene in the career of a young player like parents who want their children to play more which may lead them leaving the Youth Department, Levin has a few words for them as well: “You don’t always have to give an answer to the parents, as they sometimes are the trouble makers. You have to understand that with children and youth, the player has to be in a place that they can advance in a professional manner and are not looking three steps ahead at the professionals. There’s always a lot of background noise either from parents or agents. But the minute you do your work in a professional manner, there are results. When you walked in to do this interview, did you see that I was signing off players paper’s? There are plenty of players here that were ours and then they left because they received a great offer from somewhere else. But now they are coming back to us as they know that the training we provide is at the highest level and they are returning for lower offers than what they had originally left on the table.”

Looking at Eliel and Dor Peretz as well as Dor Micha, Levin knows that there is an issue of players jumping from the youth levels upwards due to the methodology: “The methodology here is incorrect. I along wth Ariel Avraham who recently departed from Maccabi, worked for two years on trying to find a solution to better aid the youngsters who were moving up to the ranks of the Senior Team. We discussed extending the age limit of the Under-19 side for two more years and adding a couple of years to the Under-17’s. We also talked about a reserve league and an Under-21 competition just like they have around Europe. We received some support for these ideas but at the end of the day nothing happened. Why? Because of politics with some of the owners and others. This is a very big problem that we have yet to find a solution for. Another option is to have a second team but this is not a possibility due to the Israel Football Association’s regulations. However, we did create a relationship with Beitar Tel Aviv/Ramle which is a great option for the players, but we really need to find an answer to this issue. At the moment we’ve done nothing to fix this problem.”

Saying goodbye to Kiryat Shalom:

Levin officially will leave his position as Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Youth Department Director on July 1st to begin his new role at the Israel FA. It’s not easy to pick out the best moments over his many years with the Club, but Levin spoke about what he enjoyed most: “Titles aren’t the most important part of the Youth Department, however it is enjoyable to look back at Amir Turgeman’s Double, last year’s club coached by Ziv Arie and of course participating in the Champions League this year. The Class of 1992 which featured the likes of Monas Dabbur, Dor Micha, Roie Kehat, Moshiko Lugassi, Barak Levy and others were part of this amazing group of players who reached some of the highest levels. To see Dor Micha turn into a regular day in day out player, Eliel and Dor Peretz who have become part of the Senior Team and Haviv Ohayon who at just 17 years of age took part on a Toto Cup match along with Mavis Tchibota getting significant minutes is outstanding. Watching this players who grew up at Maccabi play in the top league gives me a ton of satisfaction.”

Despite the achievements and titles, Levin acknowledges that there is still a long way to go in the department: “There’s still plenty of work to do and improvements have to be made in many aspects. It begins with the facility, equipment, academy, identifying players and bringing them into the system, there’s a lot to do. We did a tremendous amount but there is still much progress to be done. The minute you don’t stay with the times, you will move backwards because everyone else is trying to move forward.”

How would you sum up this amazing period in your life?

“I am finishing up a lifetime of work and I am leaving behind a terrific staff that I brought to Maccabi. I see the people I work with here more than I see my own wife. In my next role I will still see many of the coaches and players that I worked with but this is still a significant moment. I have to recognize all of the people that I have worked with from management to the coaches. especially to the professional staff and the coaches, Ariel Avram, with whom I worked with for many years, Guy Zuckerman who came on board this year, Ziv Arie who besides being a coach was also the assistant director and the rest off the staff.

I’m now preparing for my new job and I can’t wait to start. Most likely I’ll be back here as part of this new position and I hope that Dubi Talit will let me in and not block the entrance when I arrive.”

Between meetings, handing over material and preparing for his new position with ...

Altman: “Our goal is to win titles”

Tomer Altman, the new captain of the Under-19 club summed up the Croatia Tournament that marked the end of the 2015/16 season: "Playing at these levels will only help us improve"

After four intensive days that included four matches, Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv is heading back to Israel from the Ramljak Tournament. The young Yellow & Blue finished the competition in 5th place as they defeated the host Dinamo Zagreb, drew with Maribor and came up short against Real Madrid. However, the squad took home 5th place after disposing of Sarajevo 5:2 in their last game.

Right before the players and new Head Coach Ori Uzan begin their break, the brand new Maccabi “Shachar” Captain Tomer Altman spoke to the Official Website about the four days he experienced at the competition: “This was a tournament that was played at the highest level of football with some of the biggest clubs in Europe. This was our second year participating in the tourney and it definitely gave us some terrific experience. The matches were very different than a typical game we would play in Israel in many aspects and I’m sure that it will help us in the future.”

About how they stacked up against the competition:

“We were able to handle ourselves very well and we made progress as each match went by. There’s always a lot of discussion about the physical differences between the Israeli and European players, but I don’t think we saw such a huge gap. We kept up with them technically and we played quality football throughout the tournament, it was really an amazing experience.”

On Ori Uzan taking over the coaching reins:

“We have a new coach. I haven’t worked with him before but some of the guys who are part of the 1999 class have. I’ve only heard good things about him and from what I saw here in Croatia is that he is a professional in every sense of the word and knows how to approach the players. I believe we will have a good season under his direction.”

Being named the captain:

“It’s a huge honor to be named the captain of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Team and I’m very humbled. I hope that I can lead the club to a more successful campaign than last season. Our goal is to win titles and I hope that I can live up to the job and do it as best as possible by giving everything I have.”

After four intensive days that included four matches, Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv ...

Maccabi “Shachar” trounces Sarajevo 5:2

Ori Uzan’s Yellow & Blue finished the Ramljak Tournament in 5th place after defeating the Bosnian club. Sharabi scored two while Dasa, Peretz and Awesat all added goals in the win

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv ended the Ramljak Tournament in Zagreb in 5th place after beating the hosts Dinamo, drawing with Maribor and falling to Real Madrid sending the Under-19 squad to the 5th vs 6th place match against FK Sarajevo. The Bosnians struck first as they took quick lead in the 10th minute. However, Maccabi came back strong as Yarin Sharabi drew the club even taking a fine cross by Or Dasa.

Two minutes later, Dasa got into the act and gave the young Yellow & Blue a 2:1 lead slotting home a goal from the corner of the box. Sharabi then completed his brace, Netanel Peretz scored his first goal with the youth team and just prior to the break Mahmoud Awesat added the 5th goal to give the club a 5:1 lead.

The second half saw Sarajevo cut the Maccabi “Shachar” advantage to 5:2 but it was too little too late as the Uzan’s charges cruised to the victory and 5th place in the prestigious competition.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv ended the Ramljak Tournament in Zagreb in 5th ...

Maccabi “Shachar” defeats Dinamo Zagreb 2-1

After a disappointing result in their first match against Real Madrid, the Yellow & Blue picked up the win over the Croatian hosts at the Ramljak Tourney. Eylon Almog and Prince Thomas scored for Maccabi

Just 24 hours after falling 1:0 to Real Madrid in the opening match of the Ramljak Tournamnet named for Croatian great Mladen Ramljak, Maccabi “Shachar” had the tough task of facing the competition host’s Dinamo Zagreb. Head Coach Ori Uzan made a number of changes to his starting XI as Hen Ozeri was again in goal along with a back four of Moshe Peleg, Bar Galili, Nadav Amran and Ran Vaturi. Prince Thomas, Amit Shapira, Tomer Altman (C), Yarin Sharabi, Or Dasa and Eylon Almog played in the midfield and up front.

Uzan’s troops got off to a great start taking an early lead in the 20th minute. Altman slalomed by a couple of Zagreb players and sent a deep pass to Almog who made sure to score on a one on one situation. Ten minutes later, Almog and Prince Thomas combined on a beautiful double pass as latter added to the Under-19 side’s lead going into the break ahead 2:0.

The hosts halved the Maccabi “Shachar” advantage in the 70th minute but it wasn’t enough as the young Yellow & Blue recorded the important victory in front of over 1,000 people.

Just 24 hours after falling 1:0 to Real Madrid in the opening ...

Maccabi “Shachar” falls 1:0 to Real Madrid

The young Yellow & Blue's played valiantly in their first Ramljak Tournament match in Zagreb as Ori Uzan coached his first match with the Under-19 side

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv kicked off against Real Madrid in Zagreb in their opening round match with new Head Coach Ori Uzan in the sidelines.

Hen Ozeri started in goal with defenders Bar Galili, Nadav Amran, Noam Cohen and Peleg Moshe in front of him. Shay Golan, Eden Kartzev and Tomer Altman played in the midfield while Mahmoud Awesat, Eylon Almog and Or Dasa featured up front.

Maccabi began the game strong as Almog and Moshe each had an opportunity to beat the Blancos keeper but couldn’t find the back of the goal.

However, the Yellow & Blue gave up a goal in the adding half which gave Real Madrid the slim 1:0 win. Maccabi will face Slovenian side Maribor tomorrow evening at 19:00 Israel time in their second tournament match.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv kicked off against Real Madrid in Zagreb in ...

Tonight: Maccabi “Shachar” plays Real Madrid

This evening, the Under-19 team will begin competing in the Ramljak tournament taking place in Croatia and will also face Dinamo Zagreb and Maribor

Yesterday afternoon, Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv flew to Croatia to take part in the Ramljak Tournament named after Mladen Ramljak which will take place at the Dinamo Zagreb Training Facility. This competition will be new coach Ori Uzan’s first test in charge of the youth club and also a chance to get to know his players before heading out to the summer break.

This morning, the team had a light practice before taking on Real Madrid’s Youth B team at 17:30 who are coached by nine other than club legend Guti. In fact, this same Real Madrid side played in the Champions League Youth League with Maccabi Tel Aviv and mad it all the way to the semifinals of the tournament.

Two of the young Blancos Stars include 17-year old Asraf Hakimi who is part of the Moroccan National Team and Dutchman Mink Peeters the 18-year old who also plays for the Holland Youth National Team.

All the latest updates and match recap can be found right here on the Official Website including match pictures and quotes from the Yellow & Blue coach and players.

Yesterday afternoon, Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv flew to Croatia to take part ...