Maccabi Haifa Fans Protest Sporting Director Lior Refaelov After Win
Maccabi Haifa secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Hapoel Petah Tikva on Saturday, with a late goal from Bruninho in the 84th minute sealing the three points. Despite the relief and joy within the club following the win, the atmosphere was dampened by a significant fan protest against sporting director Lior Refaelov. For the first time in two years, large sections of the fanbase chanted for Refaelov's resignation, a stark contrast to previous isolated incidents.
The protests stemmed from the team's poor performance in the first half, continuing a trend from recent Toto Cup matches and a disappointing loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv. Fan discontent is also fueled by internal criticism regarding the team's construction over the summer and the previous season. A major point of contention for Refaelov is the club's recruitment of foreign players, with several high-cost signings failing to deliver professionally, leading to financial losses when they were released. The lack of a natural left-back following injuries to Pierre Cornud and Yinon Feingold has also drawn criticism.
While some foreign signings like Xander Sabrina and Mateus Newell were brought in under previous management, players like Triveante Stewart, Djordje Jovanovic, and Peter Agba were signed on Refaelov's recommendation last season and are part of a larger group of expensive, underperforming foreign players. Even players like Yilem Betai and Cedric Doun from last season, and Tsunami and Nigel Luyindama signed this summer, are facing scrutiny, though some see slight improvement in Luyindama.
Club officials acknowledge the criticism, stating that fans are rightly judging Refaelov on last season's shortcomings but also need to credit his successful decisions. They point to Refaelov's role in offloading players like Mateus Newell, Show Kamana, Xander Sabrina, Peter Agba, Triveante Stewart, and soon Manuel Benson, freeing up foreign player slots for new signings. The successful sale of goalkeeper Georgi Yermakov for approximately three million euros and the signing of Omri Glazer are also highlighted, as is the successful acquisition of midfielder Bruninho and striker Andrija Novakovich.
Maccabi Haifa is aware of the pressure on Refaelov, who had a distinguished playing career. The club believes he will gain experience and improve, but acknowledges that in a high-pressure environment like Maccabi Haifa, there is little room for error. The team needs a string of victories to regain confidence and improve performance. The upcoming games will be a test for all of Refaelov's signings, and failure to compete for the championship could lead to explanations from both Refaelov and coach Barak Bakhar, potentially jeopardizing their positions for next season.
