In May 1949, the year after the State of Israel was proclaimed, Maccabi Tel Aviv and 12 other clubs played in the Israeli top-flight. Maccabi featured in all 72 seasons since, while Maccabi Bnei Reineh is the 47th club to have played in Israel’s top-flight.
Bnei Reineh’s maiden match in the top-flight was against Maccabi at Bloomfield on the opening day of the 2022/23 season. Maccabi won that game 5-0 as well as the corresponding fixture 2-0 at Greene stadium in Nof Hagalil.
Maccabi’s league record on the first fixture of the Jewish calendar (74 matches) is 35 victories, 20 draws and 19 defeats.
Maccabi Haifa are the club Maccabi opened the Jewish calendar against most – 9 times.
Maccabi’s highest victory registered as the first fixture of the Jewish calendar is a 9-1 win over Maccabi Rishon Lezion in the 1951/52 season. Yosef ‘Yosale’ Merimovich scored six goals and his holds the record for the number of goals scored in the first fixture of the Jewish calendar.
The biggest attendance recorded at such a fixture was 24,829 during the 0-0 draw against Hapoel Hadera on the 2019/20 season.
Yurki Shukanov scored the earliest goals after only 30 seconds against Maccabi Netanya in the 1994/95 season.
