Maccabi Netanya Excludes Itay Ben Shabat From Squad Amid Player Departures

מרכז

עברית · מערכת חדשות אחת

Plus

Maccabi Netanya surprised players by excluding Itay Ben Shabat from the squad as they plan to part ways with him and two others. The club won their second Toto Cup game but faces challenges with player injuries and suspensions ahead of the league season.

הידיעה ב-6 שורות · תקציר של baba

Maccabi Netanya excludes veteran Itay Ben Shabat from the squad, surprising teammates.
The club plans to part ways with Ben Shabat, Aziz Watara, and Willian Ciprian.
Netanya won their second consecutive Toto Cup match despite a controversial red card.
Za'arura will miss the next game due to suspension after a disputed sending off.
Coach Roni Levi intends to rotate players to prevent injuries before the league starts.
Fitness coach Ofer Doron suffered a calf muscle tear during training.

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.

הסיקור