Maccabi Haifa F.C.

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Maccabi Haifa F.C. is an association football (soccer) club based in Haifa, Israel. It was founded in 1913. It is one of the country's most successful teams, being the first Israeli club to qualify for the group phase of the UEFA Champions League, and reach the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

The club is also notable as having exported many successful players to leading European clubs, and therefore gaining a reputation as a "Bounce Platform to Europe".

1 History
2 Honours
3 Records
4 Current team squad
5 Notable former players
6 Managerial history
7 See also
8 External links

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History

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1913 - 1980

Maccabi Haifa Football Club was established in 1913 in the port city of Haifa. It was a small irrelevant club that spent most his time being promoted to and relegated from the First Division (then known as Liga Arzzit). But even in its first years the club adapted a very adventurous and offensive style of play based on high technique and short-chop passes, the Brazilian style. In 1942,the club reached the Israeli State Cup final, but was humiliated 12-1 by Beitar Tel Aviv in the final, which is the clubs worst defeat ever. In 1962, the club won its only honour until the 80's, when the team defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 5-2 in the Israeli State Cup final. In 1963 they reached the final again, but failed to defend their title losing to arch-rivals Hapoel Haifa 1-0.

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1980 - 1990

Maccabi Haifa has only entered the Israeli champions club at the 1980s. In the 1983/4 season Maccabi Haifa won its 1^st ever championship, under the guidance of coach Shlomo Sharf, overcoming Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv in a dramatic struggle. This was a total surprise to the Greens, a club was known for its "all-around-offense" and flashy technique football style - often resulting in bad defensive formation and as a result losses. Sharf's team played with 4 strikers, positioned at point and midfield and managed to build their defense around the late legendary goalkeeper Avi Ran. A year later, Maccabi Haifa won a second championship in a decisive performance. At 1986 MHFC lost the championship in a controvesial final match against runner-ups Hapoel Tel Aviv. The single goal scored in that match by Gili Landau was said to be scored from a passive offside position, which by the rules of the time should have resulted in a disqualification of the goal and a nil-nil result, guaranteeing MHFC the title. Due to a less-than-satisfactory TV coverage, the issue has never been fully resolved. In 1988, Maccabi Haifa desimated Maccabi Tel Aviv 10-0 to earn its biggest win ever. In 1989, under the capable hands of Amazzia Levkovic, the club won another championship.

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1990 - 2000

In 1990 Maccabi Haifa established itself as an elite, and dominating club in Israel. It began by winning the "double" - League championship and the national cup at the 1990/1 season and the introduction of three talented young players: Eyal Berkovic, Reuven Atar and Tal Banin. In 1992 Maccabi Haifa was purchased by Ya'akov Shahar, who became the owner and president of the club. Under Shahar's management, Maccabi Haifa enjoyed a financial stability and a professional working regulation similar to European football clubs' standards. Maccabi Haifa's highlight season was 1993/4. After winning the 1993 cup, Maccabi Haifa gave a stunning performance in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (CWC), beating Torpedo Moscow FC 3-1 and Parma A.C. 1-0 in 1/8 final, only to lose on penalties. During the season in the domestic league (then called Liga Leumit), the team went unbeaten for the entire season, out of an overall unbeaten streak of 48 games, thus winning a spectacular championship, and braking many Israeli records. The Maccabi Haifa 1993/4 squad, under the guidance of coach Giora Spiegel, is considered one of the best squads in Israeli football history.

In 1996 Eyal Berkovic and Haim Revivo left Haifa for European clubs. While the two gained great personal success there, Maccabi Haifa went into a slump. The team's standards of maintaining the services of the manager for multiple seasons was thrown as the team went through several managers during 4 years. As result, the team failed to win the national championship title, despite securing the National cup in 1998.

In 1999, under the guidance of the Czech manager Dushan Ohrin, Maccabi Haifa beat French giants Paris Saint-Germain and Austrian club SV Reid to reach the 1/4 of the Cup Winners' Cup. In the middle of the season, Haifa's excellent striker Alon Mizrahi left to French club Nice resulting in a loss at the CWC quarter finals and an overall decrease in the club's league performance. The club's winning record continue to falter until the arrival of Avraam Grant.

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2000 - 2010

Previously Maccabi Tel Aviv's coach, Avraham Grant was appointed in 2000 as manager of Maccabi Haifa. Under Grant's guidance, the team regained their dominating offensive style, which, along with a much improved staff, giving the club with an almost unstoppable team, winning the championship with a series of virtouso performances by Israeli prodigy Yossi Benayoun, including what some consider to be several of the finest goals in Israeli league history. The championship ended Haifa's "seven year itch" and the spontaneous burst of celebrating fans onto the pitch caused a tragic disaster. A young fan, Amir Rand, was crushed against the guarding rails and went into a coma, from which he hasn't managed to recover as of yet.

A year later, Grant won a second championship with relative ease, relying on a trio of foreign footballers: Giovanni Rosso (Croatia), Reimondas Zutautas (Lithuania) and the young Nigerian striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu. Following the second championship, Avraham Grant left Haifa for the Israeli national team, and Itzhak Shum, who until then managed the U21 national team replaced him.

In 2002, Haifa made Israeli club history by becoming the first Israeli team to qualify for the group phase of the UEFA Champions League. In the group phase, the team defeated Olympiacos CFP and the legendary Manchester United (albeit not in their strongest form after securing their 1/8 finals place earlier in the stage). Haifa scored 7 points overall in the group table, finishing in the third place, allowing it a place in the UEFA Cup.

In the 2003/4 season Maccabi Haifa won an easy but somewhat unconvincing championship with the young coach and ex-Maccabi footballer Ronnie Levy. In the eyes of football fans and media, the team failed to show their usual offensive flair, winning the championship due to an overall weakness of the other league teams. The team's squad, considered the finest in the leage due to a consistent high budget in domestic standards, is seen as one that should score many goals in every match, resulting in a disappointment when this fails to occur. In this season, Maccabi Haifa youth club (ages 16-18) won the domestic championship, and an Israel national kids team which was constituted solely from Maccabi Haifa players won Fox Kids World Cup for 12-years-old.

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Timeline

1913 - Maccabi Haifa Football Club was founded.

1939 - After a few years of unorganized activity, the team was reorganized by a group of Austrian immigrants.

1942 - Maccabi Haifa is promoted to the Premiere League but it was decided to postpone all promotions. First appearance in the State Cup final losing to Beitar Tel-Aviv 1:12.

1946 - Advance to the Premiere League.

1962 - Won the State Cup for the first time, beating Maccabi Tel-Aviv 5:2 in the final.

1963 - Third appearance in the State Cup Final but lost To Hapoel Haifa 0:1

1965 - Maccabi Haifa relegated to the first division

1966 - Maccabi returned to the Premier League

1971 - Fourth appearance in the State Cup Final losing to hakoach Ramat-Gan 1:2.

1974 - Relegation to the first division.

1975 - Maccabi Haifa returned to the Premiere League.

1977 - Maccabi Haifa once more relegated to the first division.

1981 - Macabbi Haifa returned to the Premiere League.

1984 - Maccabi Haifa won for the first time the Premiere League championship

1985 - Won for the second time the Premiere League championship. Fifth Appearance in the State Cup Final losing to Beitar Jerusalem 0:1. Won the Championship of the Champions Cup against Beitar Jerusalem 5:2.

1987 - - Maccabi`s sixth appearance in the State Cup Final losing to Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Score after extra time 3:3, in penalty shoot out Maccabi Haifa loses.

1989 - Won for the third time the Premiere League Championship. Seventh appearance in the State Cup Final losing to Beitar Jerusalem. Score after extra time is 3:3. In penalty shoot out Maccabi Haifa Loses.

1991 - Maccabi won both the Premiere League championship and the State Cup Final defeating Hapoel Petach Tikva 3:1.

1993 - Third time win of the State Cup Final 1:0 against Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

1994 - Fifth time Premiere League Champions (all 39 league matches with no loss). First appearance in the European Cup Winners tournament. First win of the "Toto" Cup.

1995 - Won the State Cup Final for the fourth time beating Hapoel Haifa 2:0.

1998 - Won the State Cup Final for the fifth time beating Hapoel Jerusalem 2:0.

1999 - Participated in the quarter finals of the UEFA Winners Cup.

2001 - Maccabi Haifa won its sixth Israeli Premiere League championship.

2002 - Maccabi Haifa won its seventh Israeli Premiere League championship.

2003 - The first Israeli team ever to play in the UEFA Champions League. Won "Toto" cup.

2004 - Maccabi Haifa won its eighth Israeli Premiere League championship.

2006 - Maccabi Haifa won its third Toto Cup.

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Honours

Championships (9): 1983\4, 1984\5, 1988\9, 1990\1, 1993\4, 2000\1, 2001\2, 2003\4, 2004\5 .
National Cups (5): 1962, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1998.
Toto Cups (3): 1994, 2002, 2006.
Other domestic trophies (7): 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1984, 1985, 1989.
Major European Achievement: head of group in the Intertoto Cup (1984), 1/8 final in the Cup Winners' Cup (1994), 1/4 final in the Cup Winners' Cup (1999), group stages at the Champions League (2002).
Milk Cup: (2004) beat Everton F.C. 5:1 in the final.

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Records

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

It is the first Israeli club to qualify for the group phase of the UEFA Champions League, and reach the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
In the season of 1993/1994 the team won the championship without losing a single match (there were 39 matches in that season).
The highest number of games unbeaten in succession: 48 (1993-1995).
The highest number of goals scored in one season: 97 (1993/1994).
The highest number of goals scored in one season by one player: Alon Mizrahi - 28 (1993/1994).
Only team in Israeli history to finish a perfect round [12 teams in the league, 11 of 11 wins in the first round] (2005/2006)

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