Maccabi Haifa was one of the dominant teams in the decision to return the Premier League to activity this Saturday. At the moment, it appears that some of its foreign players will not return to Israel until the game against Hapoel Be'Sheva on Saturday, with captain Charon Sherry still in the Netherlands for family reasons and left-back Pierre Cornu still in France due to his family's fear of war in Israel. In the meantime, the club's CEO, Itzik Ovadia, answered many questions that have recently arisen on the official website and has put quite a few issues in order.
First, Ovadia referred to the assistance to the communities near the Gaza Strip, saying: "Maccabi Haifa Football Club continues to assist its fans and all citizens of the State of Israel, at this time. I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart our fans who have subscriptions for their cooperation and commitment to help the residents of the envelope as part of the refund for home games in the Europa League. Thanks to you, about a million shekels were donated, which will be transferred to the rehabilitation of the communities, Kfar Gaza and Nahal Oz, a very exciting contribution of our community for the rehabilitation of the communities. At the same time, we are committed to providing all our fans with a few moments of joy and disconnection from the harsh reality currently prevailing in Israel. From the coming week, the club will enter an intensive routine of games, in the European framework and in the framework of Premier League matches."
On the decision to return to play, Ovadia said: "In our view, the return to the field is important. Alongside the fighting, we need to broadcast a return to normal. Football will help boost morale during this difficult time and provide little time of detachment and escapism. We have only one victory picture before our eyes – Sammy Ofer is filled with 30,000 green fans who remember and cherish all the fans who can no longer be with us and all those who sacrificed their lives to enjoy football."
Charon Shri. Meanwhile in Holland, photo: Maor Elkeslassy
When will the next Premier League games be?
"Subject to the Secretariat's schedules. Since this is a very complex period, it is possible that the dates of the games will only be updated close to the games themselves."
Will audiences be able to come to the games?
"At this point, no. According to the Home Front Command's decision, it is not possible at this stage to bring crowds into the games. Safety and safety of the fan base above all. We will make every effort to return the crowd to the fields as soon as possible, of course in accordance with the instructions of the Home Front Command."
Will you refund money for games played without an audience?
"Yes. We will update on the refund outline as soon as possible."
Will it be possible to donate the refunds?
"Yes. We will allow the refunds to be donated, we will announce how this can be done as soon as possible."
A statement from the club's CEO on the return to games here >>> https://t.co/ddQevJcN22 📱 #ביחדננצח 🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/mv0OtG8TXV
— Maccabi Haifa FC (@mhfootballclub) November 20, 2023
When and where will the home match against Rennes take place in the Europa League? Will it be possible to attend the game?
"The home match against Rennes will take place on 30.11.23 at Stadium X in Belgrade. Unfortunately, this match will be played without a crowd, due to security considerations that are independent of the club."
When and where will the away games against Villarreal and Panathinaikos be? Will it be possible to attend these games?
The hottest sports articles and updates on your Telegram
Join
"Away games against Villarreal (6.12) and Panathinaikos (14.12) will be played in the rivals' home stadiums. At this stage, UEFA and the local police do not allow us to sell tickets to our fans as these matches are very sensitive to security. If there is a change in the subject, we will update. I would like to once again strengthen our huge fan base and all citizens of the State of Israel. I am sure that days of peace, joy and great hope will come to us, and we will be able to return to the football fields."
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us