HaaretzSports20:04

Maccabi Haifa Coach Barak Bakhar Resigns After Humiliating Loss

By ספורט הארץ

Translated & summarized from Haaretz by baba

Center-leftCharged tone

Hebrew · 11 newsrooms covering

Barak Bakhar resigned as Maccabi Haifa coach on Saturday after a 4-0 loss to Maccabi Netanya, stating the team needs a change. The team has fallen to fourth place after three straight defeats, having been in first place just three weeks ago. Bakhar, who had two previous successful stints with the club, cited his inability to achieve better results despite receiving full support. He expressed love for the club and fans, taking responsibility for the team's performance.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Barak Bakhar resigned as Maccabi Haifa coach following a 4-0 loss to Maccabi Netanya.
Bakhar stated the team "needs a change" and that he "tried, it didn't work."
Maccabi Haifa has lost three consecutive games, falling to fourth place.
The coach had previously led Maccabi Haifa to three championships.
Bakhar had returned to Maccabi Haifa for his third tenure about a year ago.

Maccabi Haifa Coach Barak Bakhar Resigns After Humiliating Loss — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Barak Bakhar announced his resignation as coach of Maccabi Haifa on Saturday evening following a devastating 4-0 defeat to Maccabi Netanya at Sammy Ofer Stadium. The 47-year-old coach, who returned for his third stint with the club about a year ago, departs as the team sits fourth in the league standings with 18 points, six points behind the leaders. Just three weeks prior, Haifa was in first place, but has since suffered three consecutive losses to Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and now Netanya.

"This is a difficult moment for me. I say this with tears, I feel the team needs a change," Bakhar stated in an interview with Sport1 after the match. "I worked very hard to lift the team, but it didn't work out. I feel for the fans. I informed Yaakov Shahar that I am resigning. I tried, it didn't work. I am at peace with everything I did, but sometimes you have to give up. It's not working. There is a good and talented team here, and more could have been extracted from this squad, certainly in terms of results. I received all the conditions to succeed. I got everything I asked for. No one forced anything on me. I love the club, the people, the amazing crowd. I take responsibility and am sure the club will move forward with new blood, something different."

Bakhar began his coaching career at Ironi Kiryat Shmona from 2012-2015, winning the State Cup in 2014. He then moved to Hapoel Be'er Sheva, leading them to three championships. From 2020 to 2023, he coached Maccabi Haifa, also winning three championships and reaching the Champions League group stage. In the summer of 2023, he left Haifa for Red Star Belgrade but was fired in December after poor results. He rejoined Maccabi Haifa for the 2023/24 season. His second tenure ended in early May, a day after the team's 5-1 derby loss to Hapoel Haifa.