The 32-year-old Spanish defender who joined Maccabi in the summer of 2018, scored 14 goals in 248 appearances in all competitions. Saborit, who made his Maccabi debut during the EUROPA League qualifier against Ferencvaros made a total of 50 appearances in European competitions.

He played a key role in Maccabi’s Europa League (20/21) and Conference League (21/22), helped the team reach the Round of 32 twice as well as a historic qualification to the Conference League Round of 16 in the 2023/24 campaign .

In six successful seasons at Maccabi, Saborit, won 9 trophies: 3 League Championships (18/19, 19/20 , 23/24), a State Cup (20/21), 3 Toto Cups (18/19, 20/21, 23/24) and 2 Super Cups (19/20, 20/21).

Ofek Melika (187cm) signed until the end of the of the 2028/29 season as the keeper who won the youth championship with Maccabi Petah Tikva last season, joined Maccabi Tel Aviv FC.

After signing his contract, Melika, told the club’s official website: “To join Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel’s champion, is a dream of every kid who begins his footballing career in Israeli football. Becoming a third generation of goalkeepers at Maccabi and after my father and grandfather is an exciting stage for me. I can’t wait to meet my new dressing room teammates, learn, work hard so I could prove myself and at the same time help the team reach all its targets”.

Melika’s signing at Maccabi makes him the third generation of goalkeepers to wear the Yellow and Blue strip. Ofek’s father, Yaron, featured between 1991-1994 while his grandfather, Shmuel, protected Maccabi’s goal between 1972-1974. The most famous Melika family member to play for Maccabi is Ofek’s uncle, Meir, who as a striker scored 63 goals in 256 appearances between 1987-1996.

Melika, represented Israel’s young national teams 28 times at U17, U19 and U20 levels, featuring in the side that finished third in the U20 World Cup in Argentina.

 

 

 

Maccabi drove out of the Sammy Ofer on Tuesday with three points in the pocket after beating Hapoel Haifa 3-0 on MD35. Joris van Overeem marshalled the midfield with a fine display on the way to an almost perfect performance.

Van Overeem who made his first since recovering from a knee injury, completed 90 accurate passes. The van Overeem show also included 7 long accurate passes, 32 in the final in the final third as well as creating two chances.

Watch van Overeem speak after the match:

Osher Davida made a second half substitute appearance at Sammy Ofer and in the space of seven minutes changed the course of the game with two assists that helped Maccabi to a 3-0 win over Hapoel Haifa.

Speaking after the game about the impact he made, Davida insisted on complimenting the 4700 traveling Maccabi fans when he said: ”I would first like to pay tribute to our fans who travelled here in numbers as around 5000 turned up and made the long journey late in midweek. I am delighted we are sending them back home happy to continue the celebrations.”

With one match left until the 2023/24 season end as Maccabi hosts Macabi Bnei Reineh at Bloomfield stadium on Saturday, Davida said: “I hope that on Saturday we will continue give our fans a reason to celebrate and end the season on a high. I am happy that in the second half we did our job and won the game.”

Davida who was introduced by Robbie Keane in the 60^th minute when the score was still 0-0 but within three minutes delivered his first assist to Eran Zahavi then added another spectacular assist on 71 for Maccabi third goal, mentioned his link up with Dan Biton; “I love playing with Dan (Biton) alongside me in the middle as he is a player who loves playing forward. It gives us so many options and in my opinion he has the best killer pass in the league – so I am happy we did it.”

On the two assists he gave Eran Zahavi that helped the veteran marksman take his tally to 19 league goals and 37 in all competitions: “I am happy I helped him score and hope he continues t do so as I know how important it is for him.”

Davida, who joined Maccabi in the summer from Standard Liege and in his first season scored three goals, added six assists and won his first championship and Toto Cup, summed up: “I am really satisfied with the championship as it was a tough season. We are still in the middle of a war and I hope it will end in peace and the hostages will return. We had many ups and downs this season but we achieved a lot. Ultimately, it was important to win the championship back after three years and I am just over the moon.”

Preview:

Three days after securing the league title by beating Hapoel Be’ersheva 3-0 at Bloomfield, Robbie Keane’s newly crowned Champions returned to Sammy Ofer where they beat Maccabi Haifa ten days ago. With an eight-point-lead, at the top of the table and two matches still left to play, Maccabi travelled to Haifa for the ONE ZERO League MD35 match against local side Hapoel backed y more than 5000 fans.

Keane made several changes to the side allowing some of his players a much needed rest. Roi Mishpati kept his place in goal with Ido Shahar returning to the right side of defense in place of Idan Nachmias who reported ill and was replaced in the squad by Kiko Bondoso. Enric Saborit on his 249th appearance in all competitions for the club lined up at the heart of defense alongside Derrick Luckassen. Roy Revivo returned to the side after completing his one-match touchline ban as he completed Maccabi’s defensive line at left back. After two substitute appearances, After two appearances as a substitute, Joris van Overeem, made his first start since recovering from the knee injury he picked in January. Dor Peretz returned to the side after serving his one-match touchline ban, with Eyal Golasa completing the midfield trio. Dor Turgeman, who scored the opening goal against Be’ersheva started on one flank with Yonatan Cohen on the other flank. Eran Zahavi who scored his 17th league goal against Haifa and 36th in all competitions this season led the team seeking to add to his impressive tally.

On the bench Keane named Daniel Tenenbaum, Avishay Cohen, Dan Biton, Raz Shlomo, Yonas Malede, Felicio Milson, Kiko Bondoso, Eden Karzev and Osher Davida.

First Half

Despite the strong presence of some 5000 travelling fans, it seemed as though Maccabi began the match under the influence of the championship celebrations. Hapoel Haifa dominated the early stages of the game with Litan Sardal flashing a shot wide of Roi Mishpati’s post in the 25th minute. Naor Sabag had another shot blocked and Sardal blasted another shot which rolled across the face of goal and wide before Misphati pulled a reflex save in the closing stages of the first half to deny Saag’s close range header.

Second Half

After a dull first half in which his side hardly made a threat on goal, Keane made a double change as Eyal Golasa and Dor Turgeman were replaced by Dan Biton and Felicio Milson for the restart. The changes gave Maccabi the needed lift as Eran Zahavi released Dor Peretz down the right channel in the 50th minute before continuing his run into the box. Peretz cut the ball back to find Zahavi but the veteran marksman wasted the chance as he blasted his shot over the crossbar.

Right on the hour mark, Biton picked a loose ball just inside Haifa’s half, charged forward and teed up Peretz whose shot from the edge of the area also cleared the crossbar. Keane reacted with another change a minute later as Osher Davida came on for Yonatan Cohen. Davida’s impact was instant as as Biton released the pacy winger down the right before his square ball towards Zahavi was turned by the 37 year old forward for his 37th goal in all competitions this season. A minute later Maccabi doubled their lead as Biton slid the ball to Peretz with a pass that carved Haifa’s defense open. Peretz flicked the ball passed Niv Antman but the referee assistant raised his flag for offside only to be cancelled by VAR’s intervention that cancelled the initial decision, allowing the goal to count.

Keane made a fourth change introducing Raz Shlomo for Enric Saborit who bowed out to a standing ovation on 69. Within two minutes Maccabi scored their third goal of the game and Zahavi scoring his easiest goal of the campaigns tapping in from point blank range after a spectacular Davida solo run. Zahavi could completed his hatrick in the 74th after Milson tormented his full back and centered towards his captain whose shot was blocked for a corner.

Eden Karzev replaced Peretz in the 79th minute as Keane made his final substitution allowing the 4700 Maccabi fans give the 29-year-old a standing ovation of his own. Milson’s claims for a penalty on 83 were dismissed by referee Gal Levy as Maccabi continued their blitz in an attempt to help Zahavi score and challenge for the top goalscorers chart.

Sheran Yeini, decided to end his playing career at the end of a glorious career which was stretched over 19 seasons in the senior side. Yeini made 555 appearances at Maccabi in all competitions which places him second in the club’s all-time appearance record behind Miko Belo.

Yeini made his senior Maccabi debut back in December 2004 a week after his 18^th birthday as a second half substitute appearance in a 2-0 Toto Cup victory over Bnei Sakhnin.

The 37-year-old Club captain made 84 appearances for Maccabi in the various European competitions and is the record appearance holder at International competitions.

Of all the Israeli players, Yeini is ranked third with only Eytan Tibi and Walid Badier ahead of him with 90 international appearances in European club competitions.

Having secured the 2023/24 League title, Yeini took his career tally to 6 Championships at Maccabi which makes him the player with the most championships in the Club’s history. (2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2023/24).

Yeini also won 2 State Cups (2014/15 and 2020/21) and despite being in the squad for the 2004/05 Cup winning season – he didn’t participate in the Cup run.

The earliest trophy Yeini won was the Toto Cup in the 2008/09 season and added 5 more and has a total of 6 State Cups: (2008/09, 2014/15, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2020/21 and 2023/24).

Yeini’s personal trophy cabinet also includes 2 Super Cups (2019/20 and 2021/21).

In his 19 years with the senior side, Yeini, who never played in a forward position, managed to score a total of 19 goals of which 16 in the league and 3 in European competitions.

Almost 50% of Yeini’s goals (9) were scored from headers, as he also contributed 24 assists.

In the latter stages of his career, Yeini, featured mostly as a defender, but of the 555 matches he played for Maccabi: 202 were played in midfield and 162 at the heart of defense.

As an all-around player, Yeini made two cameo appearances in Maccabi’s goal as a makeshift keeper. In 2011 Liran Strauber was sent off in the 85^th minute against Hapoel Be’ersheva before Yeinbi put on the number jersey and gloves yet couldn’t keep out a penalty in a 2-0 defeat at Bloomfield. Three years later in 2014, Juan Pablo Colinas, was sent off in the 80^th minute with Maccabi leading 3-1 on Maccabi Netanya and managed to keep a clean sheet.

Yeini made 51 appearances against Maccabi Haifa and holds Maccabi’s record for the highest number of appearances against a specific opponent. Hapoel Tel Aviv is the Club Yeini made his second highest number of appearances featuring in 39 local derbies.

The highest attended match Yeini played in was a EUROPA League match away to Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2013/14 season as 41,000 fans were present on the night at the Frankfurt Arena.

In Israel, the highest number of fans at a match was the final match of the 2012/13 season as 33,000 fans arrived at the National stadium in Ramat Gan for the match against Ironi Ramat Hasharon.

Our story begins: Yeini’s experiences from a legendary career

The frequent traveler: Yeini’s journey towards his European record

The Eran and Sheran show – Part 1

The Eran and Sheran show – Part 2

Generating European interest : When Yeini starred at the UEFA magazine