Mac TA off to perfect start; Shirazi sidelined
09/03/2012 23:17
Maccabi joined Ironi Kiryat Shmona, Ashdod SC and Hapoel Tel Aviv with two wins out of two.
Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Shirazi on the field. Photo: Adi Avishai
An Eliran Atar goal gave Maccabi Tel Aviv its second straight victory to start
the Premier League season on Monday night, with the yellow-and- blue defeating
Maccabi Netanya 1-0 at National Stadium in Ramat Gan.
Tel Aviv was no
where near as impressive as it was in last week’s win over Maccabi Haifa, but it
picked up all three points courtesy of Atar’s 53rd-mintue strike, with the
striker swiveling on the edge of the area before sending his shot into the
bottom left corner.
Maccabi joined Ironi Kiryat Shmona, Ashdod SC and
Hapoel Tel Aviv with two wins out of two.
Elsewhere, Hapoel Tel Aviv
coach Nitzan Shirazi was admitted to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv on Monday for
extensive checks due to the severe headaches he has been suffering from
recently.
Shirazi sat on Hapoel’s bench during its 2-0 victory over
Hapoel Haifa on Sunday, but it was his assistant Shavit Elimelech who instructed
the players and spoke to the media after the match.
Shirazi told his
squad ahead of the game that he is going through a rough period and Hapoel
announced on Monday that Elimelech will continue to guide the team in his
absence.
“There is no need to be dramatic,” Shirazi told the Hapoel
website on Monday. “I believe in god and in the excellent doctors who are taking
care of me. Sometimes there are potholes in life which you need to overcome and
I hope that I will soon be able to return to coaching the
team.”
Meanwhile, champion Ironi Kiryat Shmona completed its summer
shopping on Monday, adding Dan Eibinder from Betar Jerusalem after signing
defender Itzik Cohen from Maccabi Haifa.
The 23-year-old Eibinder showed
plenty of promise at Betar last season and will give Kiryat Shmona coach Gili
Landau another option in the midfield as he prepares for a busy schedule
following the team’s progress to the Europa League group stage.
Betar
will receive around NIS 1.5 million for the transfer of Eibinder which will
allow it to add several new players to its depleted squad, including Hen Azrial
from Maccabi Haifa.