News and Rumors

• Nir Biton is being linked with a move to Standard Liege
• According to the Israeli website ONE, Yossi Benayoun is wanted by four London clubs, QPR, Tottenham, West Ham, and Arsenal.
• Maccabi Tel Aviv striker Roberto Colautti is likely to join Cypriot club Anorthosis Famagusta, and  will be reunited with former coach Roni Levy. Maccabi will stay pay half of his salary.
• Maccabi Haifa has made another offer for Chen Ezra in the region of one million Euros.

News and Rumors

• Maccabi Haifa have signed left-back Shmuel Scheimann from  the Dutch club SBV Excelsior. Scheimann made his national team debut recently against the Czech Republic. Scheimann will sign a two year deal with an option for two more years. This may indicate that Taleb Tawatha will be leaving the club in the summer.
• Maccabi Tel Aviv are showing interest in Kaiserslautern midfielder Gil Vermouth. Vermouth had an outstanding game against Germany recently and is searching for a club in the Netherlands or Spain.
• Maccabi Haifa are interested in two Argentinian players, Nicolas Olmedo, a defensive midfielder for Godoy Cruz, and Martin Rolle, an attacking midfielder for Club Olimpo.

Israel Loses 2-0 To Germany

Israel Lost 2-0  to Germany, however I feel they can hold their heads high. It’s not a bad result and they didn’t make too many mistakes. The first goal was a bit of a mistake after Tal Ben Haim had an opportunity to clear the ball , but wasn’t able to do so. Mario Gomez pounced and scored a good goal. The second goal was no fault of Israel’s as Andre Schurrle got a good strike from 25 yards out, that was unstoppable. I though Israel showed good discipline and organization. However they automatically conceded possession to the Germans from the opening whistle to the end of the 90 minutes. I think Eli Guttman can look forward to a good qualifying campaign.

News and Rumors

• Hapoel Tel Aviv owner Eli Tabib has announced he wants to sell the club for 25 million shekels. He also announced that the team’s best players are all for sale. In addition the team will not be having a training camp, and he will no longer invest any money into the club. To some it looks like a similar story to when he gutted Hapoel Kfar Saba which was then relegated to the Liga Leumit. Others believe he is taking revenge against the clubs fans, who demanded that he will leave. Hapoel Beer Sheva want Omer Damari from Hapoel Tel Aviv, but the price is too high for them. While Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa want Nosa Igiebor.
• Coaches from the youth department of Maccabi Petah Tikva toured the facilities of Ajax Amsterdam in an effort to improve their youth setup.
• Maccabi Haifa defender Jurica Buljat was called up to the final squad of Croatia for Euro 2012,  the Greens will be looking to sell the Croatian defender in the summer.  If he plays then it will probably make it easier for Haifa to do so.
• The Israel Football Association is considering terminating the contract of Eli Ohana on June 30th. Ohana is currently the coach of Israel’s u-19 Team, however his teams have performed poorly since his tenure in 2008 and the last loss was a particularly humiliating one. It was a 7-1 loss at the hands of Portugal. Ohana is a legendary player but has a spotty record as a manager.

News and Rumors

• Kiryat Shmona has made their first signing of the transfer window. They signed Macedonian International Darko Tasevski on a free transfer from Bulgarian side Levski Sofia. He is an attacking midfielder valued at 1.500.000 Euros on  the website Transfermarkt.
• AEK Larnaca midfielder Gonzalo Garcia continues to be linked with a move to Maccabi Tel Aviv

News and Rumors

• Hapoel Tel Aviv have made their first signing of the offseason, signing left-back Daniel Borcal of Beitar Kfar Saba who had previously been on trial at the Spanish club Valladolid. They have also been linked with veteran player Assi Baldut.
• Maccabi Haifa is being linked with Real Potosi attacker Gerardo Yecerotte, Yecerotte has scored 34 goals in 88 appearances for Potosi. Potosi is in the Bolivian league.

News and Rumors

Well It’s been a big day in Israeli Football news

• Gai Assulin was released by Manchester City after being there for one and a half seasons, Assulin never played for the first team, and was injured during much of his stay. Assulin was once and still possibly is the golden boy of his generation, but his clock is slowly ticking. I hope he doesn’t stay in England and sets his sights lower for the Netherlands, where I think he could do well.
• The much rumored move of Barcelona youth coach, Oscar Garcia, has finally materialized as he was officially announced as the new Manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv. I think Garcia has the potential to be a huge success or bust, it depends on how he handles the language gap, as well as the mentality of the average Israeli player. Garcia has signed a two year contract with the club.
• Israeli police have arrested a player of Ahi Nazareth after the team lost to Bnei Lod 6-0 in a game that determined if Bnei Lod would be eligible to fight for promotion to Ligat Ha’al. Both teams represent the Arab sector in Israel, and both the owner and manager of Lod  in the past have made anti-Jewish statements.
• Maccabi Netanya is currently asking one and a half million Euros for the rights to sign Chen Ezra. Maccabi Haifa have been the primary suitors for the player, however the price is likely to deter them from buying the player and look elsewhere for reinforcements.
• Maccabi Haifa defender Sari Falah, according to the Belgian media, has taken medical tests with AA Gent. Falah is an Under-21 National Team starter, and has been in a dispute with Maccabi Haifa over his lack of playing time. Falah’s father has denied that his son is in Belgium or that he has taken medical tests.
• Bulgarian striker Kostadin Hazurov has signed with Belgian club Lierse after having a successful season with Bnei Sakhnin and scoring 14 goals in Ligat Ha’al. The striker was only there for one season, but left due to unpaid wages.
• Belgian media is speculating that English clubs are interested in Club Brugge attacking midfielder Lior Rafaelov.

 

News and Rumors

• Hannover has officially sent a representative to Israel to make an offer for a 3 year deal to Maccabi Haifa left-back Taleb Tawatha.  If Tawatha accepts then the two teams will have to negotiate a transfer fee.
• Chelsea is demanding an answer from Arsenal regarding a possible transfer move for Yossi Benayoun. West Ham and Ajax have reportedy shown interest in the player. I think Ajax would be a good move for Yossi, especially since they will be in the Champions League and he was a former youth player there.
• Maccabi Netanya are reportedly demanding one million dollars for Maccabi Haifa target Chen Ezra. Ezra scored 12 goals this season for Maccabi Netanya.
• Danish media is confirming Oz Rali will be the first signing of the summer for Danish club OB Odense. Odense has not yet confirmed the signing.
• Ben Sahar, and Eden Ben Basat both experienced Jew hatred while they were in France according to an article in Haaretz below. Both players had unpleasant experiences and will both seek to leave the country in the summer. Sahar will go back to Espanyol, and Ben Basat will seek a new team.

http://www.haaretz.co.il/sport/israel-soccer/1.1712506

News and Rumors

• Almog Cohen has left the Israel National Team training camp with an injury. Nir Biton has been called up to replace him. It’s likely that Biton may play after Biram Kiyal said that he will only be training but not participate in any of the upcoming friendlies.
• Bnei Sakhnin striker Kostadin Hazurov may move to the Belgian club Lierse due to Sakhnin not being able to meet his wage demands. Bnei Sakhnin is being linked with stikers Victor Maree, Mohammad Kalibat, and Mahran Lala as possible replacements.

Transfer News

• Oz Raly has passed  medical tests with the Danish club OB Odense. The Danish club is currently 10th in the Danish League, seems kind of a lateral or downward move from where he is at with Bnei Yehuda. I don’t think its a good career move, he may get good playing time, but unless he has an outstanding season,  it won’t be good for his career.
• Shlomi Arbeitman and Yuval Avidor are being linked with a move to Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv.