Toto Cup Final to Exclude Losing Team from Trophy Ceremony

For the first time in a cup final, the losing team will not participate in the trophy presentation ceremony. Both Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv received notification from the Football League Management that the losing team in the upcoming Toto Cup final on Thursday will not be part of the medal ceremony for second place or the trophy hoisting for the winner. The league management, organizing the match at Bloomfield Stadium, aims to ensure the volatile game concludes peacefully. Significant security forces will be present to maintain order. To prevent situations where the losing team stands on the field for an extended period while the opposing crowd taunts and curses them, it was decided that the ceremony will only include the winning team and their fans. The losing team will receive their medals in the locker room.

This deviates from the global norm where the losing team accepts silver medals and remains for the winner's ceremony. However, the league management has introduced this change to prevent tension, provocations, and potential fan invasions. Consequently, this Toto Cup final will feature a different ceremony format.