Maccabi Tel Aviv Faces Squad Challenges After Europa League Exit and Awaits Israeli Transfer Response

Maccabi Tel Aviv is regrouping after their elimination from the Europa League qualifiers by CSKA Sofia, a defeat marked by a critical error from player Issouf Sissoko that led to the decisive goal. Despite a heavy loss in the first leg in Batumi, the team nearly staged a remarkable comeback but ultimately fell short, now moving to the Conference League playoffs where they will face Swiss club Lugano next week.

Beyond the disappointment on the pitch, the club is under significant pressure regarding squad planning. Sporting director Yannick Ferrera is struggling with the foreign player quota, as nine foreign players are currently registered, blocking new signings without sales or releases. Players Henry Edoo and Cravins Andrade, who are not in the club’s plans, remain, while Christian Blitz is sidelined for three months due to injury, and Ion Nicolescu has not been frozen out.

Due to these constraints, Ferrera has turned to the Israeli market, targeting 17.5-year-old striker Israel Dapa from Hapoel Jerusalem as a potential replacement for Said Abu-Farhi. Negotiations are ongoing, with Jerusalem expected to demand around 2 million euros for the player. Meanwhile, Abu-Farhi’s 12 minutes in Sofia marked his final appearance for Maccabi, as he has agreed to a transfer to Colorado Rapids in MLS for $4.95 million, with personal terms settled and a contract to be signed after medicals and visa approval.

Another transfer saga involves defender Roy Revivo, who agreed on financial terms with Spanish club Elche, which offered 3 million euros plus 5% of a future sale. However, Maccabi added three new conditions: the player must waive 15% of his transfer fee, increase the future sale percentage to 20%, and Elche must pay the agent’s commission. Agent Fali Ramadani is working behind the scenes to resolve these issues before the Spanish transfer window closes on September 2.