I'm going to be studying at the University of Haifa starting in October. I was wondering if somone could tell me how close Maccabi/ Hapoel play? I'm presuming they ground share? How much are tickets ( in American)? what kind of crowds do they get? I know alot more about Maccabi here in the US but I see Hapoel wear red and black like the metrostars? I'm trying to decide who to support. Thanks for any info.
Hi Billy... Glad your going to Israel to learn. University of Haifa is very exciting! Are u going to be with family there or are u renting a place/living in the dorms? Tickets in Kiriat Eliezer stadium is about 80 Shekels. That is like 17 dollars U.S if you do the math. It can be lower, and if you go to other stadiums or other teams that play in lower leauges it can be even more cheaper, it just all depends. Maccabi Haifa has a bigger crowed then Hapoel Haifa, cause they are simply the premier team right now in Israel. Long ago, actually, Hapoel Haifa used to be big, but overtime, it is either Maccabi Haifa is good and Hapoel Haifa is so so or Hapoel Haifa is good and Maccabi Haifa is so so. Maccabi Haifa is coming from a good season last year. This season is more promising. They have a good chance in the leauge as well as in Eurppean tournaments like the Champions leauge. The fan base for Maccabi Haifa is relatively big since there success. There games are usually a sell out and it may be hard to find tickets. No impossible, but hard. You may have to get it from a scalper Hapoel Haifa has lost alot of attention. In my opinion, they are in a turmoil. They won in 99, but after that they went down hill. There was alot of financial problems, the owner of the team committed suicide and there was an on field incident where a player on Hapoel Haifa might have been bribed to make them lose. So they lost alot of fans, but luckily, they got promoted to Liga ha'al and they have a chance. I doubt that max 5000 fans will show up for there games. But i am more than certain that the Hapoel-Maccabi Haifa derby will get a sell out a crowd Either way, both teams are the pride of Haifa. Hapoel Haifa's jersey at one point was similiar to AC Milans jersey, cause both got sponsored by OPEL and both had Black and Red! I can't choose which team you should go for. But just to sum it off, Hapoel Haifa is the Underdogs this year (and i wish them the best) and Maccabi Haifa is an Israeli powerhouse and perhaps a threat to UEFA related competitions.... so you be the judge!
Thanks. So Maccabi are better on the field. Which I knew. Maccabi wear Green Hapoel wear red and black. Ticket prices are even? but it's easier to get Hapoel tickets. How do most people in Haifa decide? Are Israeli derbies usually divided by neighborhood or class like alot of European rivalries or is it more random preferance like Liverpool/Everton? Thank you so much anyone with any answers I'm really curious about this.
Im not sure if the ticket prices are even.... Maybe since Hapoel Haifa doesn't get alot of fans and sell outs, there tickets might be a different price. But its the same venue, so im thinking that they charge even for both. With the derbies. I really don't know what to say... Its the same as picking a team in the U.S with some cities having 2 or mor teams per city (LA RAMS/RAIDERS, LA CLIPPERS/LAKERS, NY YANKEES/METZ). Sometimes, its just what ur family/father likes or grew up with. Alot of the fans have a connection with the team, like in the youth system or someone they know played on the team. Others like the team cause of nationalistic aspiration. Maccabi, Hapoel and Beitar are athletic organizations, but with nationalistic roots. Look at Maccabi's logo, its has a David Star. Look at Hapoel's logo. It has a Sickle and a Hammer (commis!!!!!!!) and Beitar's has a menorah....... so thats one of the ways people pick!
A true Metrofan would go for Maccabi Haifa, it makes up for years of heartbreak with the Metros. The Haifa rivalry is divided by class, Hapoel Haifa fans have none, and Maccabi Haifa fans have alot.
Ticket Prices Forgot to add that tickets for students, kids, and soldiers are only about IL ₪35 (US $7.80/GB £4.23/EU €6.36).
Re: Ticket Prices Does that include foreign students? I want to go the the first game of the season (week of Aug 18?) between Beitar and Maccabi Haifa @ Kiriat Eliezer.... would i have to pay 35 NIS or 80 NIS?
Just out of the love of sports, many would probably choose an underdog team, cause no one likes to be champs all the time (im talking about you!! Yankees ) . They like to start from nothing and then get something.....
True Kappa I'm a Met fan and I do tend to support underdogs my fave premiership teams are Tottenham and Man City. It had occured to me that Maccabi have won 3 out of 4 titles. On one hand Maccabi do havesome achievements to brag of. When I'm back in the states I could proudly tell fans from other parts of europe that they are my team and get alittle bit of respect for their achievements in europe. On the other hand I might feel like a glory hunter for the year I am there in Haifa. I do hate the Yankees, Lakers, Man United Real madrid and so on.... this is going to be a tough call
To be honest, its hard to tell how fans picked teams. How did u start liking the metz for example? Maccabi Haifa have alot of pride, not just in the wins, but also representing Israel. I have one favourite team in Israel, which is beitar. Although I chose Beitar, i will always support Israeli teams that play in Europe and represent Israel no matter which team it be's. So in other words, when you come to Haifa, you are in the same dillema as in New york. Yankess = Maccabi Haifa Metz = Hapoel Haifa Never liked the metz anyways, Mike Piazza should have stayed with the dodgers. Derek Jeter = Giovanni Rosso
Maccabi Haifa has only become a powerhouse as of late. Yes, we were always a strong team. But what do you expect? Nobody is willing to invest in their clubs!
Re: Ticket Prices In all honesty, if you can act as foreign as possible than you most definently can use it. But if you go into Israeli mode (as I like to call it) then you could get yourself burned and the guy might think it is fake. Your best bet is to borrow someones student ID card in Israel because some don't have pictures on them, I know mine doesn't.
Its not about investing money. Its about putting hard earned effort into the youth system. Maccabi Haifa cleary succeeded in it. Other teams IMO opinon, big or small, invested alot to compete such as Ashdod, Hapoel Beer Sheva and Bnei Yehuda T.A. It can be debatle on the level of success that they have, but one thing is certain that if you take a youth at a young age, feed him, make him play, and teach him strategies, and he will become a great player....than you can have him become a star in a Senior's team in another 5-10 years, or possibly sell him for $$$$ and buy some foreigner from Eastern Europe or South America.
Re: Ticket Prices I'll use my Tourist mode! Having grown up in an proximity where anyone who tries to speak Hebrew, speaks it with a horrible accent (Im talking about you, KYHS ) than i got used to it. But not that i look at it, 80 Shekels is nothing for me. Its like.....23-25 dollars Canadian!! With that kinda cash, i could go to a Blue Jays game, buy a souvenir and have a good meal!!
Re: Ticket Prices I could make this a seperate thread but I'll ask here for now. What percentage of games are televised? Just curious I don't know hoe many if any games outside of Haifa I'll be able to attend.
Re: Ticket Prices WTF? Almost 100% of Ligat ha'Al matches were broadcasted live on Israeli television. But most of them are on the Israeli version of Pay Per View. Two games a week are on free television.
Most games are under contract with a broadcastic Company called Charlton. You will hear this name alot in August, cuase this is a huge reason why there is delays in the season, cause teams want to get some sort of royalty from the games that are on TV or Pay Per View.... If i was them, i would wait till 11:00 to watch Pay TV
Thanks again you two are doing a great job providing me with info. I'm such a big football fan and I'm excited to be speding a year in a country where other people appreciate the game. I was leaning toward Hapoel for a couple of days but I think I've rethought it and I think I'm defintley leaning toward Maccabi now. I might just wait and see who I meet and who wants to go to games once I'm there, but here's what I'm thinking right now. The point was made that Maccabi would be preferable because the Metrostars are torture to support and Maccabi win and would be fun. I can see the logic in this point and on top of that I'd like to see higher quality football while I'm overseas. I'm not convinced that Hapoel who don't really have any players that I know are better than the Metrostars, while I know Maccabi with all their national team players and foreign stars like Rosso are a high caliber team.
Don't forget that we only have one round to play to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. If we qualify, you will see me on top of the roof at Kiryiat Eliezer doing backflips.
What's been going on With Maccabi Haifa the last few days? if you don't mind telling me. I can't really read the Hebrew, the pictures on their website look like maybe they've been playing in a pre-season tournament? It looked like they were being presented a trophy.
WE KICKED MAJOR TUCHUSS IN HOLLAND!!!! Our new Argentinian player from Boca Juniors has turned out to be the player that Dante Lopez was not.
Awsome. Who did they play in Holland? I also could tell that they must of signed somone from Boca because of the pictures but couldn't find anything in English about it. I can't wait to see them play. I'm arriving in Haifa in October and I believe Maccabi is hosting Beitar the following weekend. I hope I can get a ticket.
woops. theya re hosting Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv. Beitar at home is the first game of the season. I still want to go regardless of who they are playing.