For the past two days Maccabi's official high street shop has hosted special guests with visits yesterday from team stars Barak Itzhaki and Barak Badash and today from Gal Alberman and Eden Ben Basat
In full accordance with the age-old Jewish tradition of having a different honoured guest visit the festive Succot tent on each of the seven days of the holiday, Maccabi Tel Aviv's official shop at 147 Dizengoff Street was yesterday delighted to welcome team stars Barak Itzhaki and Barak Badash before they hurried off to an evening practice at the club's Kiryat Shalom training ground. Dozens of adoring fans came to the shop to meet the two strikers, get their autographs and have their pictures taken with them before hurrying off to purchase their official Maccabi matchday shirts. Some of them requested to have the players' names printed on their jerseys and looked on as Barak Itzhaki tried his hand at doing the handiwork all by himself. In return, the clearly excited fans thanked the injured striker and wished him a speedy recovery and a quick return to the playing field.
Today it was the turn of midfielder Gal Alberman and striker Eden Ben Basat, who took the time between morning and evening practice to visit the shop and devote their full attention to the fans who took advantage of the holiday week to come to the shop to meet them. For their part, the eager fans left no opportunity pass to pose for snaps with their favourite Maccabi stars and get their signatures on every possible shop item. And like Barak Itzhaki before him, Gal Alberman also had a go at printing his name and number on a matchday shirt purchased by one of his admirers. After their visit, Alberman and Ben Basat took a short rest and then rushed off to join their team-mates for the day's second training ahead of next Monday's home tie against northern namesakes and traditional rivals Maccabi Haifa in a match that will kick off at Bloomfield Stadium at 8.55pm. Tuesday and Wednesday the team will hold practices each day before a well-deserved rest on the holiday Thursday.
