Maccabi Haifa Stars Honor Fallen Soldier at Memorial Tournament

A memorial football tournament was held on Thursday in Yocneam Illit to honor Itay Glisko, a fallen hero who was killed on October 7th. Glisko, a longtime subscriber to Maccabi Haifa, was a soldier in the Golani Brigade's 13th Battalion, "Night Predators" unit, and died fighting heroically at the Paga outpost. The tournament took place at the sports field named in his memory, which was previously the home field for the youth team he played for, Hapoel Yocneam, now named after him.

Maccabi Haifa coach Barak Bakhar and defender Elad Amir presented trophies at the ceremony. Other attendees included team manager Guy Melamed, manager Roi Fox, and former club legend Rafi Osmo. A team of Maccabi Haifa veterans also participated, including former striker Moshe Selekter, Tzabar Daniel, and Shai Dahan. Maor Levy, a player for Maccabi Netanya and a resident of Yocneam Illit, also attended.

The event was supported by the Golani Brigade's 13th Battalion, Sergeant Major Nir Levy, and the Yocneam Illit municipality. Oren Glisko, Itay's father, expressed his gratitude, stating, "The tournament in Itay's memory is much more than a football game. When the field fills with children, friends, and families, I feel that Itay is here with us." He added, "The response from Maccabi Haifa is moving anew each year, with active and former players from the club coming to play a show match in his memory. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the club and the players, who make the tournament an event Itay would be proud of."