Shom and Yakobo already huge.
Haifa wink to Europe
11.9.2002,
Many words were say about Maccabi Haifa. But above all Haifa's great achievement
of getting to the Champions league is in the frame. The season didn’t start yet
but already Maccabi Haifa think this is a successful year.
Shom and Yakobo already huge.
Although Maccabi Haifa really made history it might affect her
efforts to win the Israeli Champion. Many teams in Europe had this problem
because they had to many matches and can't handle all of them. Fans of Haifa
hope that their team will have more lock with this.
Maccabi Haifa has a great history, here team really glimpsed at the end of the
80's and 90's. Her first league champion was in 83/84, until then they were a
minor team who didn’t made a good results. Shlomo Sherf, former Israeli national
coach was the man who took Haifa to her first glory and from then no one could
stop then. In the 90's Jecob Shaher took Maccabi Haifa under his control and
spent a lot of money on the team. Eyal Berkovic, Haim Revivo, Yossi Benayoun and
Sergi Kandaorov all of them played for Maccabi Haifa and now play at big teams
in Europe. First step to Europe for Maccabi Haifa was with Giura Shpigel, whom
made in Haifa a big team with a lot of good players.
Haifa took last 2 championships in Israel. Yossi Benayoun the young star came to
Haifa and was the main man of the champions. But also Avraham Grant that is now
coaching the national team was the coach and brought Haifa the new success days.
After Grant went to coach to national team, Itzhak Shom former under 23 coach of
Israel took the charge in Haifa and in his first months gain a historic place in
Champions league with his team.
Shom's goalkeeper is Dodo Awate after another injury by his first keeper, Nir Davidovic. Nir really suffers from bad luck, last year he was sidelined and now the same knee betrayed him again. Dodo Awate was called again like last year to take the charge at the goal. Tom Almadon will be his replacement if Awate will be injured or something like that.
In the center of defense Haifa has a good international players.
Arik Benado that is also the captain of Haifa is in charge of Haifa's defense.
Benado plays also in the Israeli national team. Some English clubs wanted him
but he stayed faithful for Maccabi Haifa (this is what he says). With him
Maccabi Haifa bought a new center back, Arik Ajipor. The Nigerian international
played at Postmort last year. He came to Haifa after Andri Ostrovski didn’t play
so well. Arik was also part of Nigiran squad that played in the World Cup this
summer. So with both Ariks in the middle, Maccabi has also some nice names in
the sides. Adoram "Edu" Keissi plays in the left side of defense while Alon
Harazi plays at right side. Keissi is a former Hapoel Petach Tikva player but
spent his glory years at Haifa. Both players are in Avraham Grant's national
squad. On the bench sits Avishi Jano that was a starter but now he is only a
substitute. Jano can also play in the midfield. Haifa has some young force in
the bench as substitutions. Like Kamal Jobrin, the defender that can play at all
defensive area. Also in the back we can find, Yossi Nagar that usually plays at
left back. Liad Amir is also a name that we should remember.
Maccabi Haifa's midfield seems like their best place. In the defensive midfield
we can find, Walid Badir. Former Wimbledon player had some problems last year
after the FAX machine in Haifa didn’t work. Last year Haifa also played in
Champions league qualify rounds and first had Haka from Finland. Haifa beat them
easily but then after they got Liverpool in the draw Haka found out that Badir
wasn’t supposed to play due to a second yellow card! Haka told that to UEFA who
took Haifa out of the competition. Badir didn’t feel so good at Haifa but at the
end of last year things got better for him and now he is back to be a great
player. Maccabi Haifa contains two magicians in the midfield, both Croatians,
Giovani Ruso and Nenad Pralija. The two great players made a lot in the Israeli
football. Giovani "prankster" Ruso took Championship with Hapoel Haifa 5 years
ago, then spent a long and offal year with Bietar Jerusalem. Last year he came
back to Haifa, but now to Maccabi, city rival of Hapoel his former team. Nenu
Pralija is like Ruso's brother in Haifa. Pralija is a great player and he played
in the Champions league with Zagreb. Nenu has a really powerful shot and he can
play as attacking midfield as well as defensive midfield. Remondas Zautaotas the
Lithuanian is in charge of the defensive midfield of Haifa. Like the Croatians
he was one of the reasons that Haifa took the Championship two years in a row.
On the bench we can find Eyal Almoshlino former Ashdod's player. Eyal came as a
backup for the midfields, but it seems like he didn’t found his place in Haifa.
Maybe the best sign of the season in Shahar's team is Gijermo "the short"
Israelevic. The young Argentine came from Uniun, he is only 19 years old and he
is a Jew so he will not be consider as a foreign. Like other Argentines
Israelevic has a wonderful technique. The late sign at Haifa belong to Michael
Zandberg, from Hapoel Petach Tikva. Zandberg almost came few months ago but
Haifa didn’t want to pay so much money, but after Haifa manage a spot in the
UEFA Champions league and extra money came, Haifa signed Zandberg. The Israeli
international usually plays at left side of offensive midfield. Asi Avrahami the
youngster hope to find first minutes in the Israeli league.
At the offensive side of Haifa there are some fine strikers. Igabini Yakobo is probably the best. The Nigerian international was in his way to Derby but came to Haifa due to unapproved work permit. Last year he scored many goals and really sparked. With him we can mark Rafi Cohen and Yaniv Katan. Katan is a great player, with a good pace, usually he play at the right side but can also play as striker. Rafi Cohen is older than Katan. He came from Rishon Lezion few years ago. He has speed and can score goals unlike Katan. The fourth angle of Haifa's strikers comes from, Nir Sevilia. The player who once was in the national team and the best striker in Israel is a backup player nowadays. Sevilia grow up in Maccabi Tel Aviv, but left and played a Bietar Jerusalem, BNYI Yehouda, Hapoel Haifa and now Maccabi Haifa. We can also find in the squad Shei Birok that played half year at Ajax youth team, now he wants to get to Europe throw Maccabi Haifa. Near him on the bench we can find another young and talented player, Eran Levi.
So this is the squad that Haifa will have this long season. It seems like it is the deepest squad in Israel but remember that only Haifa plays in the Champions league.
Exceptions: Championship, Cup and second phase in the Champions league.
Realty: no Championship for Haifa due to her Champions league
challenge. Second phase in CL? Come on, you got to be kidding me. Maybe the cup
Haifa will take after the long season.
Player to watch: Gijermo "the short" Israelevic: Europe here we come.
Possible 11th: Dodo Awate; Alon Harazi, Arik Benado, Arik
Ajipor, Adorm "Edu" Keisi; Remondas Zautaotas, Nenad Pralija, Walid Badir,
Giovani "prankster" Rosu, Michael Zandberg; Igabini Yakobo.
DiD u Know: Maccabi Haifa is the first Israeli team in the UEFA Champions league.
news
Maccabi's news