Wounded soldiers honoured at Bloomfield

In a pre-game ceremony, Maccabi Tel Aviv paid tribute to seven soldiers wounded in this summer's fighting in Gaza

In a moving ceremony held before the referee's whistle signalled the start of last night's match against Hapoel Ra'anana, a fully-packed Bloomfield Stadium and Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club paid tribute to seven soldiers, Maccabi fans all, wounded in this summer's fighting in Gaza: Omer Levy, John Susana, Shimon Dadon, Liran Sefer, Shlomi Goldhirsch, Dor Ariv and Yehoshua Mekaro. The soldiers passed along the row of starting players of both club's prior to kick-off, receiving warm handshakes and general applause from the close to 11,000 spectators that lined the terraces of the stadium. Maccabi team captain Sheran Yeini and honoured guest and fellow Maccabi fan Dr Hezi Levi, director of Barzilay hospital in Ashkelon where the soldiers have been convalescing, presented the seven with gifts on behalf of the club and the club's sponsors NIVEA, including season tickets to all of Maccabi's home games for the 2014/15 season.

Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club would like to express their gratitude to these young combatants and wish them all a speedy recovery.