On Saturday, Maccabi Tel Aviv held a ceremony in honour of Menni Levi, who collapsed on the pitch 11 years ago to the day
Maccabi Tel Aviv's outstanding players from the youth department released balloons before Saturday's match against Hapoel Acco at Bloomfield Stadium in a ceremony dedicated to the welfare of Menni Levi, who on the 26th of January 2002 suddenly collapsed on the pitch at "Teddy" Stadium nine minutes into the match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem. After extensive attention on the pitch, Levi was finally brought to hospital for further treatment and the match was suspended. For the next three years, Meni Levi was resident at the Beit Levinstein Rehabilitative Hospital in Ra'anana but lacking any positive results he was returned to the care of his family in 2005.
Menni Levi went through the youth department at Maccabi Tel Aviv where he played in many positions, including striker and attacking midfielder, finally settling into the first team as right-sided fullback. He was also capped for various youth national teams, including the under 21s. Levi's maiden appearance in the first team came in the 1999/2000 season when he came on as a substitute in Maccabi Tel Aviv's 18th round match against Hapoel Haifa. He made four further appearances that season, including his first start in the last game of the season. In the following year and a half, Levi would make 38 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals and winning with the club the National Cup in the 2000/2001 season.
Nir Levine, who was Levi's manager at the time of his collapse, is now the club's youth department manager. The entire Maccabi Tel Aviv family join him in remembrance, affection and prayer for the continued welfare of Menni Levi and his family.
