Early this morning the MTA squad took off for Cyprus ahead of the return leg against Asteras Tripoli
After a day of changes in the coaching staff, the Maccabi Tel Aviv squad took off for Larnaca ahead of their critical "home" leg Europa League play-off tie against Greek side Asteras Tripoli, who go into the match with a two-goal advantage from the first leg. Joining the players on the flight are a group of Maccabi supporters from Israel's troubled southern region, whose costs were covered thanks to an initiative by veteran fans of the club. The team are expected to land at Larnaca Airport this morning and to carry on from there to their hotel. Maccabi's new head coach Pako Ayestaran and his two assistants, Jose Viela Urtasun and David Cenada Perez, also joined the team on the flight to Cyprus after arriving in Israel in the early hours of the morning.
At 7.15pm tonight, Asteras Tripoli will hold a pre-match press conference before appearing at the local Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium for a final practice. At 8pm it will be the turn of Maccabi Tel Aviv to hold a press conference, with the team holding their practice at 8.30pm. Tomorrow the squad will go out for an early morning jog and then rest before heading to the stadium for the 8.30pm kick-off. The team are expected to return home to Israel on Friday at 3.45pm.
