No Mistakes: The Critics' Critical Game | Israel today

Foreigners who do not want to come, but may be convinced in case of participation in the Champions League or Europa League • Goldhaar's disappointment from two years of relegation already in the early stages • And home players looking for exposure to find a team overseas • This is how the game against Dynamo Brest became critical for Maccabi Tel Aviv

• Maccabi Tel Aviv is celebrating. Will they be able to return to Europe tonight?

  Photo: 

  Ami fat

The trauma he suffered last season with the dismissals from the European factories by Cluj and Sudova, caused Maccabi Tel Aviv to wake up quickly from the summer nap and devour the league all the way to another championship. Giorgos Donis hopes the slaps his team received this season in the league's two opening rounds will provide the same effect - On the way to securing a European season.

In Kiryat Shalom, there are those who claim that from tonight's game against Dynamo Brest, "there is no way back."

This definition is correct and incorrect.

On the one hand, if Maccabi is eliminated against the Belarusians, they can probably forget about qualifying for the Champions League in the coming years in the face of the new UEFA system, and even when they drop out of the Europa League, they will have to go through a pair of playoff games.

On the other hand, a victory over Brest will arrange a meeting against Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League playoffs, and in the event of a loss of a guaranteed place in the home stage of the Europa League, or if you will - a monetary grant of 6-5 million euros.

The economic consequences of reaching the Europa League home stage, and all the more so for the Champions League (€ 15 million), are known to everyone, certainly with the Yellows still subject to fair play penalties, but there are two other aspects that make tonight's game critical.

Percy Wayne.

Will they be able to forget the opening of the anemic season?

// Photo: Alan Schieber 

Since the draw against Bnei Yehuda, the champion players have heard Donis talk several times about "Europe being the big goal."

This is especially true for Canadian owner Mitch Goldhaar, who did not like the fact that in the last two years the Yellows have not passed the qualifying stages.

Garcia and Raykovich as a precedent

Promising a European season also has an impact on the season in the league.

So far the Yellows have not been able to sign any foreign players - although almost all of their foreigners have left this summer (Amador, Opuado, Geralds and Yaniotis).

Eduardo Guerrero, who finished the loan at Betar Tel Aviv / Bat Yam, was not in the plans, but had no choice but to become a regular part of the staff - a non-ideal situation, certainly for such an orderly and organized team.

Maccabi turned to foreign brakes and strikers, but each time it encountered one of two options: refusal because of the relatively low salary the team offers today, in contrast to the fat contracts in the past, or the fear of arriving in Israel.

"Foreigners are never in a hurry to come to the country," they said around the club, "but now, with the state of the corona in the country, it is much more stressful for them to come."

At this point you are probably wondering how a lone win over Brest can change the situation.

Well, Maccabi relies on past cases where they managed to convince foreigners to come to Kiryat Shalom using the Champions League or Europa League participation card, as happened with Carlos Garcia or Predrag Rejkovic, who wanted to play in the Champions League and the champion matched him at the same stage as a glove.

Golsa and Bitton in the 11th picture

If in the end, as a result of qualifying for the home stage in one of the factories, Maccabi manages to land two quality foreigners - this will have a huge impact on the league, and probably the arrival of a purchase will create a struggle for the staff and perhaps wake up some existing players.

Eyal Golsa.

Will he open in the lineup this time?

// Photo: Alan Schieber 

And just as the management is desperate to step up and secure a European season, so are some of the players.

These are Dan Glazer, Yonatan Cohen, Dor Peretz and Elon Almog, who intend to go to Europe and their agents are constantly examining options for them overseas.

But unlike Gulf, the other three do not have too many appearances in the European arena, and they believe such will increase their chances of being sold in the transfer window in January or next summer.

To sum it all up in a nutshell - for the club and its players tonight's game is the Money Time of the Money Time.

Professionally, Donis is considering returning to an array of five on defense.

Eyal Golsa and Dan Bitton, who did not start in the last game in the league, are supposed to get the credit at 11 and also Maor Kandil, who will probably be preferred over Ben Bitton.

On offense, there seems to be a dilemma between Itai Schechter and Nick Blackman.

Enrique Saborit and Avi Rikan, who suffered injuries, participated in the concluding training but may prefer not to endanger them.