In 2017/18 Jean-Sylvain Babin, 30, joined Maccabi Tel Aviv FC on a one-year-loan-deal with an option for another season after an agreement with his Spanish club Sporting de Gijon. The French born central defender, 181cm, represents the national team of Martinique. Babin, made 24 League and Cup appearances scoring one goal for Gijon last season and had been playing in Spain for the last nine seasons with Granada (2014-2016), Alcorcon (2010-2014) and Lucena (2008-2010). He began his playing career at the youth academy of Chateauroux and made his senior debut for the French outfit in 2004.
Jean Sylvain Babin, will return to Spanish outfit Sporting Gijon after the 31-year-old central defender made 40 appearances for Maccabi in all competitions.
Atar arrived in Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2010/11 and the technical forward’s first season with the yellow-blue team was excellent and his rapid adjustment left a great impression. 18 league goals and a total of 20 when Atar scored a pair in the inspiring 4-3 victory over Paris Saint Germain, which was not enough for Maccabi Tel Aviv to move ahead in the European League. People who believe in myths and legends crowned Atar as the player who removed the “curse of the forwards”, which has been hovering over the yellow club in the past few years.
The 2011/12 season started where the previous one left off and in Maccabi Tel Aviv’s first European games, Atar found the goal. He made five goals in the European League qualifiers and another one in the Group stage against Dynamo Kiev. On the local front, Atar made 12 goals in all of the competitions, including the winning goal in the derby against HaPoel Tel Aviv, which the yellow fans had been waiting for for nearly four years. Atar is still waiting to appear in the Israeli’s senior national team. While on the junior national team, he made eight appearances and scored one official goal and two more in friendly games.
Eliran Atar grew up in the Bnei Yehuda youth division and went on to the senior team in summer 2008. Atar, who first played with the Bnei Yehuda senior team at the young age of 17, did well in the HaTikva neighborhood team and after two good seasons he reserved a spot with the neighboring yellow team of Kiryat Shalom. At first, during the 2008/09 season, he scored 14 goals in the orange uniform and became the top scorer in the Premier League along with Shimon Abuhatzira and his Maccabi Tel Aviv spearhead partner, Barak Yitzhaki. During this season, Eliran Atar gave Israeli football fans an unforgettable moment with his famous overhead kick against Maccabi Netanya, which was even a candidate for goal of the year in Europe. In the next season, Atar scored 11 goals in all of the tournaments and left his roots to play for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Atar, who won the League Championship with Maccabi in 2012/13 was then sold to French outfit Stade de Reims. He made his return to Israel and played with Macacbi Haifa for 2.5 years and then returned to Maccabi at the start of the 2017/18 season when Shlomi Azulay moved in the opposite direction to join Haifa as part of the deal between the two clubs.
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In 2017/18 Atar scored 7 goals in 25 appearances, featuring in the Starting XI 11 times and played across all competitions including the Europa League.
Blackman began his playing career at Macclesfield Town before joining Blackburn Rovers in 2009 and spending loan periods at Blackpool, Oldham Athletic, Motherwell and Aberdeen.
Eleven goals in 28 appearances for Sheffield United led to a switch to Reading for which Blackman scored 18 goals in 103 appearances between 2013 and 2016 when he joined the Rams.
In the summer of 2017, the striker joined Maccabi and made 40 appearances across all competitions including 5 in the Europa League Group Stages. Blackman scored the sining goal in a 1:0 victory over Villarreal on the last Matchday of continental play. The striker scored 12 goals, added 5 assists and won the Toto Cup. Following the season and loan, Blackman returned to Derby.
