Maccabi Netanya Excludes Itay Ben Shabat From Squad Amid Player Departures

Maccabi Netanya continued their strong start to the 2026/27 season with a second consecutive Toto Cup victory on July 29, 2026. Despite the win, the club is planning to strengthen its roster and is awaiting the arrival of Nigerian player Cristian Naovetcko. Unexpectedly, veteran defender Itay Ben Shabat was left out of the squad, surprising teammates who expected him to play after Karri Konate was sidelined due to muscle pain. Ben Shabat, who served as captain last season and started in the preseason, is now considered the fourth-choice center-back and is expected to seek a new club.

In addition to Ben Shabat, Maccabi Netanya is working behind the scenes to find new teams for Aziz Watara and Willian Ciprian, the latter substituted at halftime in the recent match against Maccabi Petah Tikva due to underperformance. Players who received praise include Za'arura, Oz Bilu, Beni Feldman, and Maor Levi. The team managed to maintain their lead despite playing with one less player after Za'arura was controversially sent off, a decision that angered him and will cause him to miss the upcoming game against Hapoel Petah Tikva.

Coach Roni Levi plans to continue rotating the squad ahead of the league season to avoid unnecessary injuries. However, a bizarre incident occurred during training when fitness coach Ofer Doron injured himself while performing a movement behind the goal at the Shlomo Biton Stadium, reportedly tearing his calf muscle. The club remains focused on preparing for the league opener while managing these player changes and injuries.