Maccabi Tel Aviv to Create New Role for Departing Manager Yoav Ziv

Maccabi Tel Aviv is set to return to the Israeli Premier League this Saturday after a three-week break, hosting Bnei Sakhnin at Bloomfield Stadium. The team aims to extend its winning streak from the start of the season, having already achieved five consecutive victories, a feat not accomplished since the 1993/4 season. Following this break, Yoav Ziv will step down as team manager after nine years in the role. Ziv and his successor, Raz Ben Shemesh, have completed their handover, with Ben Shemesh set to manage the team for the first time this Saturday. However, Maccabi Tel Aviv does not intend to part ways with Ziv. The club plans to create a new position for him, primarily based in the club offices near Bloomfield Stadium, rather than at the training complex in Kiryat Shalom. This new role is expected to involve community relations and engagement with various stakeholders connected to the team. While the exact details of the new position are still being finalized, a club source indicated that both the club and Ziv are amenable to him continuing his tenure in a different capacity. Ziv originally joined Maccabi Tel Aviv as a player in 2010 and transitioned into the team manager role after retiring. Recently, the team's players posted unified messages of support for Ziv on Instagram, expressing their appreciation for his long-standing role as a friend and point of contact, while respecting the management's decision.