Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans Welcome New Season with Carnival Atmosphere

Maccabi Tel Aviv's basketball team officially kicked off its 2026/27 season with a festive training session attended by hundreds of enthusiastic fans. The event, held at the municipal sports center in Hadar Yosef, was marked by confetti, smoke flares, and a passionate display of support, despite recent administrative turmoil within the club. The team's chairman, Shimon Mizrahi, and board member Udi Recanati were present to witness the electrifying atmosphere.

A focal point of the fan reception was new acquisition Yam Madar, who transferred from a rival team. Supporters chanted his name and directed taunts towards Ofer Yanai, owner of the opposing club. Bonzie Colson, returning for a second stint with Maccabi after playing in Turkey, also energized the crowd. Captain John DiBartolomeo expressed his excitement, stating, "We missed the crowd, we are excited to start," and looking forward to playing in front of fans throughout the upcoming EuroLeague season.

The training session saw players carried on shoulders by fans who briefly stormed the court. Several national team players, including Daniel Theis and Jalen Hurd, joined the practice for the first time. Only Jimmy Clark, due to injury, and Goran Lavić, recovering from knee surgery, were absent from the full squad.

This celebratory practice followed a closed-door preparation game where Maccabi narrowly lost 86-84 to Bnei Herzliya. The team is scheduled for another practice game against Maccabi Rishon LeZion before heading to Cyprus for matches against Aris Thessaloniki and Olympiacos, as they prepare for the domestic league and EuroLeague campaigns.

Amidst the festivities, a civilian security guard in his 40s was detained and later released under restrictive conditions pending investigation for allegedly assaulting a minor fan during the event. Police have opened an inquiry into the incident.