Yesterday, according to many, the championship fight for the 2020/21 season reopened: the gap between Maccabi Haifa of Sheri, Rokavica, Lavi and Barak Bachar, and Maccabi Tel Aviv of Yonatan Cohen, Glazer, Golsa and Van Leven dropped to only five points, with both teams “We’ll meet twice more. The story, still, is in the hands of the Greens – but the dramatic victory brought us back to five big championship fights. Five stories of two big teams competing against each other, until the last minute, until the last round – and sometimes right up until the last second.” Top 5 “goes back in the time tunnel.
In fifth place: Maccabi Haifa vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv, 1995/96
Maccabi Tel Aviv, key figures: Avi Nemani, Itzik Zohar, Nir Klinger, Eli Drix, Dror Kashtan
Maccabi Haifa, Key Figures: Haim Revivo, Eyal Berkovich, Moshe Glam, Sergei Kandaurov, Giora Spiegel
Story of the act: Probably the most “sparkling” championship fight of the five. Football legends on both sides, national team players who later became international names, and two great coaches on both teams. The two great dynasties of the 1990s went head to head right until the end, with five rounds per season – in the direct season game between the teams, Tel Aviv was the one that won 1: 3 from the goals of Klinger, Derricks and Avi Nemani. One round before the end, Maccabi Tel Aviv succeeded. Defeat Betar Jerusalem in Bloomfield from Nemanji’s goal, and win a second consecutive championship. Haifa, despite one of the strongest rosters in its history, will continue to wait a long time for the next crown.
In fourth place: Betar Jerusalem vs. Hapoel Tel Aviv, 1997/98
Betar Jerusalem, Key Figures: Nir Sevilla, Istvan Fishont, Stefan Shaloui, Yossi Aboksis, Dror Kashtan
Hapoel Tel Aviv, Key Figures: Ofer Sheetrit, Giorgi Darsilia, Sebastian Simrotic, Shalom Tikva, Eli “The Sheriff” Cohen
Story of the act: The most tumultuous struggle. Betar arrived as the big favorite, after the championship a year earlier. Hapoel had just been released from the hands of the Histadrut, and was looking for a new horizon with the sheriff – who took the championship in Betar. Betar won the game of the season in Bloomfield, but got entangled later – and this battle was also decided, practically, one round to end with Betar’s victory in the “laces game” over Hapoel Beit She’an, from a goal by Fischont Deep in extra time. Hapoel defeated Hapoel Petah Tikva 0: 1, but was left with half its lust in hand (and with broken hearts on Bloomfield’s grass). Betar will win in the final round and swing another plate.
In third place: Hapoel B’Shlosha against Maccabi Tel Aviv, 2015/16
Hapoel B’Shlosha, key figures: Maor Melikson, Maor Bouzaglo, Tony Wakma, Aliniv Barda, Barak Bachar
Maccabi Tel Aviv, key figures: Gal Alberman, Barak Yitzhaki, Tal Ben Haim, Eran Zehavi, Peter Boss
Story of the act: The most historic struggle. After three championships in a row, Maccabi Tel Aviv reached its peak – with the promotion to the Champions League. But at home, Beer Sheva was waiting for her, hungry after 40 years without a championship crown. Barak Bachar in his first job in a cash-rich team, with the new Turner Stadium – opposite the Yellow Dynasty on the other side, with Zahavi in a historic season. It came until the last round: Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Maccabi Haifa 0: 6, but Beer Sheva with a full turner defeated Bnei Sakhnin 1: 3 and broke the Rubicon. Avraham Avinu was resurrected.
In second place: Maccabi Tel Aviv against Maccabi Haifa, 2002/03
Maccabi Tel Aviv, key figures: Tal Ben Haim, Tal Benin, Baruch Dego, Avi Nemani, Nir Klinger
Maccabi Haifa, Key Figures: Igbini Yaakovo, Arik Benado, Yaniv Katan, Giovanni Russo, Yitzhak Shom
Story of the act: The most tortuous struggle. A story that began with Maccabi Haifa’s gallop to the Champions League, including a legendary 0: 3 victory over Manchester United, but with a decline on the Israeli field. On the other side was Klinger’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, who in the middle of the season decided to put aside the star and sergeant Avi Nemani, in favor of Baruch Dego – who returned with a huge winning streak, until he was injured and finished the season. Yehuda – and a push against Hapoel Petah Tikva at the Ramat Gan stadium, to give Tel Aviv a championship after seven barren years. Haifa won 1: 5 in Ashdod, which was not enough.
And in first place: Hapoel Tel Aviv against Maccabi Haifa, 2009/10
Hapoel Tel Aviv, Key Figures: Douglas de Silva, Eran Zehavi, Itai Schechter, Gili Vermot, Eli Gutman
Maccabi Haifa, Key Figures: Lior Rapalov, Vladimir Debalishvili, Shlomi Arbeitman, Yaniv Katan, Elisha Levy
Story of the act: The most dramatic struggle. A story that comes, to one day – May 15, 2010. Maccabi Haifa, which was a young team that is starting to be built and reached the Champions League, galloped through most of the stages of the season at the top. But in front of her stood a super strong opponent, in the form of the Reds – with Eli Guttman and a battery of stars who played dizzying football. Everything was decided, as mentioned, in the 35th round (after the “offset”) – when Maccabi Haifa fails to beat Bnei Yehuda, Hapoel Tel Aviv encounters Betar which makes life difficult until the 93rd minute, the moment Eran Zehavi sends the ball To the net and sent the verb to celebrate a double. Championship decided with one kick. There is no bigger story than this.
