Israeli soccer season set to kick off again

Israel soccer is back and ready to go this Saturday night as the Championship Playoffs get under way. Originally scheduled for mid-March, the coronavirus caused a two-and-a-half-month delay in the campaign, but with the league obtaining permission from the Ministry of Health it will now run from May 30 until the beginning of July. There will be a number of new rules and regulations that the league and teams need to abide by, which are similar to those instituted in the recent continuation of the German Bundesliga. Anyone entering the stadium will need to have their temperature taken and anyone registering over 38 degrees won't be permitted to enter the facility. In addition, each person will need to be wearing a mask and there will need to be distance kept between players on the bench as well as coaches and other team staff. Gameplay will change slightly as squads will be expanded to 20 players from 18, and five substitutions will be allowed instead of three during the length of the match. At this stage, fans will not be permitted to attend the games, however, that may change over the course of the month. Chairman of the League Administration Erez Halfon spoke about the desire to get the league back up and running and the importance of following a strict code in accordance with the Ministry of Health's guidelines to ensure that the games resume without a hitch. “The minute we were allowed to bring the league back we worked together with the Ministry of Health and instituted a set of regulations that would mean that games could take place without fans,” said Halfon. “Many don't know this, but there are many, many people who work behind the scenes in order for a soccer game to be brought to the fans, whether they are in the stadium or at home. That includes management and logistics teams, technicians, media and many more. We needed to work with the ministry in order for all of this to happen. “Anyone who will be in or around the stadium during a game understands that they have a huge responsibility and I ask that everyone follow the Ministry of Health's regulations so that we can continue to bring the games back. We are also continuing the conversation about allowing fans back into the stadiums in a safe and appropriate way. We are all waiting with excitement for the games this Saturday night.” Maccabi Tel Aviv will host Hapoel Haifa at Bloomfield Stadium on Saturday night in the first game since the shutdown. The yellow-and-blue is currently in first place with a record of 19 wins, seven draws and no losses, good for 64 points, translating into a six point lead over second-place Maccabi Haifa. Coach Vladimir Ivic's squad had scored 48 goals and has only conceded seven. Budding star Yonatan Cohen leads the team with 10 goals and 10 assists, Chico Ofoedu has nine strikes, while Omer Atzily has found the back of the goal with eight markers. Dor Peretz and Nick Blackman will both be back for the club while Ofoedu has been recovering from an injury and is in Nigeria. “We're very happy to get back to playing soccer,” said midfielder Ruslan Barsky. “We all missed playing and we have been waiting for this moment where our goal will be to keep the league title in Tel Aviv. This was a weird time, to say the least, and I can't wait for the excitement of being able to send a through-pass or make a tackle to help the team.” Hapoel Haifa, under the tutelage of Haim Silvas, is in sixth place with a record of 10 wins, seven draws and nine losses for 37 points. The Carmel Reds drew 0-0 with Bnei Yehuda in their final match before the break and will look to challenge for a place in Europe over the last 10 games of the campaign. Nes Zamir leads the squad in goals with seven while Gidi Kanuk has six assists. Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Beersheba will also be on the menu Saturday night in a duel between the respective third and fourth-place teams that will be played at Teddy Stadium in the nation's capital. The yellow-and-black won its final league game over Ashdod by a 2-1 scoreline, while Beersheba fell 4-0 to Maccabi Haifa. Shlomi Azulay leads Roni Levy's Jerusalem squad with seven goals and five assists and Ben Sahar is at the top of Yossi Abukasis's Southern Reds' scoring chart with 12 goals. Beersheba owner Alona Barkat made waves over the past couple of months when she announced that the team would be put up for sale after the players wouldn't agree to a salary cut due to COVID-19. With 15 wins, four draws and seven defeats, good for 49 points, Jerusalem will look to solidify third place while Beersheba – with 13 wins, five draws and eight losses for 44 points – wants to stay on Beitar's heels and close the gap. Saturday night's final game pits Maccabi Haifa against Hapoel Tel Aviv at Sammy Ofer Stadium. The Greens feature the league's leading scorer in Nikita Rukavytsya, with 18 goals, while Omri Altman has nine strikes for the Reds. Marko Balbul's Haifa is in second place with a record of 18 wins, four draws and four losses for 58 points and Nir Klinger's Hapoel side finds itself in fifth place with 11 victories, five draws and 10 defeats for a total of 38 points. Haifa would like to make a run at first place, but it knows that Maccabi Tel Aviv will be a daunting challenge with 10 games to go. Hapoel Tel Aviv will look to snatch a continental spot, but also has plenty of ground to make up in order to do so. Serious about staying safe In related news, Bloomfield Stadium is employing an innovative disinfectant developed for the Israel Defense Force by the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) in Ness Ziona. The disinfection process is being carried out in cooperation with Tera Novel. The product was developed for the IDF for biological warfare and can be used to completely disinfect dry and wet surfaces against viruses, bacteria, germs, and some fungi, including anthrax and the coronavirus. Official disinfecting at Bloomfield Stadium (Photo credit: AMIR MAYBLAT/COURTESY) The active ingredient in the disinfectant adheres to the surface of the area being cleaned and continues to disinfect for a prolonged period, killing and repelling 100% of bacteria and contaminants. Prior to using the disinfectant at Bloomfield Stadium, a successful trial was conducted in 54 locations. Following the great success, health and religious ministries are exploring the possibility of using innovative technology in all the mikvahs and synagogues in Israel. Among other things, the dressing rooms, showers and seats at Bloomfield Stadium were all cleaned. “We congratulate the Tel Aviv Municipality for the decision to use the innovative disinfectant technology developed at the IIBR,” said Tera Novel CEO Keren-Cohen Hazon. “This is a breakthrough in the environmental war against the coronavirus and in fact against every virus or pollutant. The antiseptic provides maximum protection while fully killing the virus and can be used on vertical and horizontal wet surfaces, making it ideal for mikvahs, baths, swimming pools, sports facilities and, in fact, for any institution that requires thorough disinfection.” Joshua Halickman, the Sports Rabbi, covers Israeli sports and organizes Israel sports adventures for tourists and residents (www.sportsrabbi.com). Follow the Sports Rabbi on Twitter @thesportsrabbi or feel free to contact the Sports Rabbi at sportsrabbi9@gmail.com.

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