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Remove the siege: Maccabi Tel Aviv returns to Turkey, and difficult memories float

Nine years after the last visit at the height of the flotilla crisis, Maccabi Tel Aviv can only deal with football ahead of the important game against Sibaspur (19:55, Sport2).

The memories of the defeat in front of Besiktas, Balili's tips and the obvious question: Why are Israelis not returning to continue Revivo's path?

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• Maccabi Tel Aviv in football

Yaniv Tuchman

Thursday, October 29, 2020, 12:00 p.m.

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Reactions to Maccabi Tel Aviv's 0-0 draw against Hapoel Beer Sheva (video: Danny Maron, video editing: Nir Chen)

Even the Turkish Republic Day, which was celebrated today (Thursday), cannot remind people at Maccabi Tel Aviv of even a pinch of what they experienced nine years ago when the team last came to play in the country.

So in September 2011, just a year and a half after the bloody events on the Maui Marmara ship off the coast of Gaza, relations between Turkey and Israel were at a low ebb and the reception that Maccabi Tel Aviv won in Istanbul was particularly hostile.

The bloody conflict on the ship in May 2010 that ended in the wounds of naval commando fighters along with the killing of Turkish activists who wanted to break the siege on Gaza, deteriorated relations between the countries and the bottom and even solid between the citizens of Istanbul, dragged to Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Demonstrations against Israel took place in every corner of the square.

Police secured the group with an unprecedented number of police officers.

Moti Ionir was then the coach of the team and Maccabi Tel Aviv passed Panathinaikos in the playoffs and qualified for the Europa League.

The first game was scheduled against Besiktas in Istanbul, and football was on the sidelines - especially on the part of Maccabi Tel Aviv, whose players seemed to have stayed in such a secure hotel due to the thousands of protesters outside.

1: 5 Maccabi Tel Aviv lost the same evening that the Portuguese Ricardo Quaresma abused them.

"He gave such arrows with the False, did what he wanted on the field," Sharan Yeni told his friends yesterday.

"It was a very complex journey."

More on Walla!

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Sibaspur - Maccabi Tel Aviv: Donis "Be careful with decisions about the squad", the Turks are full of confidence

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Maccabi Tel Aviv does not forget the previous visit to Turkey.

Rafi Dahan and Nibaldo after the defeat to Besiktas (Photo: AP)

A low point in the warm relationship between Israeli and Turkish football.

Police secure Maccabi Tel Aviv in Istanbul (Photo: AP)

So far from the same commotion in September 2011, which was also accompanied by a travel warning from the National Security Headquarters, Maccabi Tel Aviv landed in Turkey yesterday ahead of tonight's game against Sibaspur (19:55, Sport2).

A chartered plane landed Maccabi Tel Aviv in the city of Sivas, with a population of 360,000, and the local escort from the field to the hotel did not even resemble the heavy security that was around Maccabi Tel Aviv nine years ago.

"Then in Istanbul there were dozens of police vehicles, policemen spread out in every corner and helicopters in the air. A completely different world," Maccabi Tel Aviv testifies.

"Relations between Israel and Turkey have improved in recent years," describes Pini Balili, who played for a number of teams in Turkey, including Sibaspur.

"It is true that from time to time there is one or another statement from the Turkish government that again damages relations, but I come to Turkey a lot and I see that the citizens on the street want the Israelis back. "I played for him at the club and to this day we are in excellent contact. They invited me to the game and until the last minute we called to make sure I was coming, but the isolation obligation after returning to Israel made me give up the trip."

More on Walla!

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The fear in Maccabi Tel Aviv: The mini-crisis in the league will affect the ability in Europe

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For four years he played for Lily at Sibaspur.

He has a solid opinion on the reason why there is no continuation in the last decade to what Revivo lives and he did there in the previous decade.

"It's not because of politics," he insists.

"I have received many phone calls from Turkey in recent years with questions about Israeli players who were candidates. It is a fact that the Turkish teams did not disqualify Israeli players. I appreciate that it is a matter of agents. Our agents specialize in other countries and not necessarily in Turkey. It is all about contacts and where the agents have "Possibility to put your foot down, you see Israeli players. All in all, I'm sorry it's over, because what's more fun than playing in a hot country that is sick of football and also knows how to pay better than in Israel?

By the way, his strongest memory, Balili does not carry because of a goal he scored in the Sibaspur uniform.

"I won against all the big teams but what I remember most is one winter where I played at minus 30 degrees. Sibaspur is a very high northern city, over a thousand meters, and in winter the temperatures drop drastically. I remember the game where I looked at the scoreboard at the old stadium. "Sibaspur and it was written minus 30 degrees. Even that game with Hapoel Tel Aviv in Russia against Lokomotiv Moscow did not match the cold that night in Civas. Luckily for Maccabi Tel Aviv, they do not have to experience this extreme weather now, because we are even before winter."

Pini Balili Safe: Turkish Paradise Open to Israeli Footballers (Photo: Liron Moldoven)

Maccabi Tel Aviv will play tonight at a stadium that Lili does not know.

"I think they only play there for two years. We built a great stadium there for them. I guess because today is their Independence Day, Maccabi Tel Aviv avoided playing in a hot atmosphere because now there is no crowd because of the corona. It is not the madness that accompanies Istanbul's stadiums, but still 20,000 "Turks know how to make a lot of noise."

As for the balance of power, Balili estimates that it will not end like nine years ago in Istanbul.

"Both teams did not start well in their leagues. Sibaspur also lost in the first round of the Europa League while Maccabi Tel Aviv won. I estimate that it will be decided on a goal here or there. The result is very open and in my opinion will be close to the end."

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