Maccabi Tel Aviv Seeks Loan Deals for Foreign Players Ahead of Crucial Conference League Match
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Maccabi Tel Aviv is negotiating loan deals for injured striker Ion Nicolescu and Kerwin Andrade to free foreign player slots before their key Conference League playoff match against Lugano. Nicolescu, sidelined for three months, is offered on loan with his full salary paid by Maccabi, while Andrade resists moves except to Brazil's second division. The club criticizes past management for poor signings blocking roster spots. Maccabi aims to overturn a 2-1 deficit in Thursday's match to advance in the European competition.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Maccabi Tel Aviv seeks to loan out injured striker Ion Nicolescu, covering his full 600,000-euro salary.
- Nicolescu has two years left on his contract and was bought for 1.3 million euros last season.
- Kerwin Andrade, bought for 1.8 million euros, resists loan moves except to Brazil's second division.
- Maccabi criticizes past management for costly foreign signings that hinder new acquisitions.
- The club prepares for a crucial Conference League playoff match against Lugano on Thursday at 19:00.
- Maccabi aims to overturn a 2-1 away loss to qualify for the European group stage.
Maccabi Tel Aviv is actively working to resolve its foreign player quota issues even after the Israeli Premier League season has started. The club aims to reach agreements with two foreign players to free up roster spots for new signings ahead of their important Conference League playoff match against Lugano on Thursday at 19:00. One proposed solution involves striker Ion Nicolescu, who suffered a knee ligament injury and is expected to be sidelined for at least three months. Maccabi has offered to loan him out to another club while continuing to pay his full salary of 600,000 euros per season. Nicolescu still has two years left on his contract, which Maccabi acquired last season for 1.3 million euros.
The club is also considering freezing Nicolescu’s contract, but this would prevent them from selling him in the future, so they prefer to find another club willing to take him on loan. Nicolescu has been offered to smaller clubs in Romania, Cyprus, and Moldova but is holding out for an offer from a more prestigious team. Transfer windows in Romania and Cyprus close on September 7 and 9 respectively, and Maccabi will wait for better offers before making a final decision.
Another player, Kerwin Andrade, purchased for 1.8 million euros and not in coach Kenny Miller’s plans, is also reluctant to go on loan except to a Brazilian second-division club. Andrade has rejected offers from smaller European teams. A club source criticized the management, saying, “Two players we bought for over three million euros last summer contributed nothing and now block foreign player slots, preventing us from signing others. This is the embarrassing professional management we have. It only proves the failure of Jack Englidis, who now must fix the mess he created.”
Meanwhile, Maccabi prepares for the critical second leg against Lugano, seeking to overturn a 2-1 away loss and qualify for the Conference League group stage. The team will be without Said Abu Farhi, who is transferring to Colorado Rapids in MLS, and Shagiv Yehezkel. Coach Kenny Miller expressed optimism, stating, “We learned a lot from the first game. A 2-1 away deficit is not a bad result. We are ready and see this as a great opportunity to secure European group stage qualification.”
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