Maccabi Haifa Excludes Six Players From Next Season’s Plans, Including Key Left-Back

Maccabi Haifa has officially informed six players that they are not part of the club’s professional plans for the upcoming season and are free to seek new teams. The players notified are Manuel Shua, Peter Agba, Tribenta Stewart, Daniel Golani, Goni Naor, and Dolev Haziza. Except for Haziza, who has served as team captain in recent years, the others will not train with the main squad but will join a separate training framework involving professional, physiological, and medical staff.

Barak Bachar is expected to attend some of these separate training sessions, with fitness coach Dror Shimshon also working with the group. Haziza will continue training with the main team but was told he is not included in the professional plans and will not be part of the matchday squad. All six players were officially told they may leave the club.

The decision is particularly surprising regarding Daniel Golani, who is effectively the only natural left-back in Maccabi Haifa’s squad. With Golani excluded, the team is left with Sean Goldberg and Kenny Saif, neither of whom are natural left-backs. The coaching staff must decide whether to start the season with Goldberg and Saif in that position or to recruit a foreign left-back until Pierre Cornu and Yinon Feingezicht return from injury during the season. The current inclination is to continue with Goldberg and Saif to prioritize signing a foreign striker and two foreign defenders.