Maccabi Tel Aviv Returns to Friday Games After 20 Years

Maccabi Tel Aviv will resume playing on Friday afternoons in the Israeli Premier League, a schedule slot they haven't occupied in over two decades. Their upcoming match against Maccabi Petah Tikva on November 6th at 2:00 PM marks this return.

The club's last Friday game was in February 2006, during the "Galacticos" season, when they hosted Hapoel Nazareth Illit. That game, played at Bloomfield Stadium, ended in a 1-1 draw and was marred by multiple ejections and controversies.

During that 2006 match, Maccabi Tel Aviv was reduced to nine players. First, Alon Mizrahi received a second yellow card, leading to a penalty. Then, Eyal Berkovich was sent off after aggressively confronting referee Meir Levi, reportedly calling him an "asshole" and a "son of a bitch." Goalkeeper Liran Strauber saved the penalty, but Hapoel Nazareth Illit scored on the rebound. The opposing team also had a player sent off, and their coach was ejected for gesturing at the referee.

Berkovich received a six-match suspension for his outburst, serving two in the league and two in the cup. He later scored his final goal for Maccabi Tel Aviv from a penalty against his former club, Maccabi Haifa. The team finished that season in sixth place.

At the time, Maccabi Tel Aviv owner Loni Herzikovich commented on Berkovich's behavior, stating it was unacceptable regardless of the game's circumstances and that players should not provoke referees into issuing red cards. He also noted that the team should have secured the win earlier in the match.