Maccabi Haifa F.C. begins rebuilding effort after disappointing season

ByJOSHUA HALICKMANJULY 30, 2026 22:49Maccabi Haifa had a rough season last year as they finished in fifth place in league play and missed out on competing in European qualifiers. Along with the disappointing results, the supporters were unhappy, to say the least, with how the campaign had been managed from top to bottom.The Greens have already endured an 0-2 start to the new 2026/27 season, losing their first two Toto Cup games, 3-2 in the Haifa derby and then 3-0 to Kiryat Shmona. However, despite the losses, Haifa believes it has plenty to build on after holding its season-opening press conference at the Kfar Galim Training Center. Head coach Barak Bachar and sports director Lior Refaelov spoke about how they view the upcoming campaign after experiencing a season well below the club’s lofty standards.“It’s great to begin anew,” Bachar began. “We had a couple of very tough seasons, and we needed to learn from what went wrong. We also had to make some serious changes, both at our training center in Kfar Galim and with our staff. We know that we will be judged by our results. We wanted to bring in players with a specific profile for the club, and we feel that we found the right players, but of course we will only know for sure once we are on the pitch.”“There are times when you need to know how to make changes, and that’s what we did. We brought in some new coaches who can raise the standards of our training sessions, and being able to work with Lior Refaelov off the pitch now after he played under me a number of years ago means we can really help build this club back up. We both know what it means to be a part of Maccabi Haifa, and we will do our best to create the right system and procedures. We put all of our failures on the table after last season, and we knew what we needed to do together to begin making the necessary changes.”Refaelov also shared his thoughts on the new season.“We’re happy and excited to begin a new season, and we were able to take a lot from last season and learn from it, as it was also my first year in the position. It was not a simple season, and we really tried to get out of what was a crisis while working with a lot of young players. Personally, I feel more prepared this season as a sports director. The beginning of my journey in this role was not easy, but I learned a great deal, and we started making the changes that we needed to.”The Toto Cup match between Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona at Miriam Stadium in Netanya, central Israel, July 28, 2026. (credit: Danny Maron/Flash90)Of course, the supporters will be key to the club’s success.“The connection with our fans is crucial, and we can’t win any title without them. They are an enormous support for the club, and we have to work together as one. I want us to stand side by side with our supporters.”Assembling the group of players who could help the team winOn the topic of rebuilding the squad from the ground up, Refaelov and the head coach worked hard to assemble the right group of players who could help the club succeed.“We took the time to figure out how we could reshape the team in a way that complements Barak Bachar’s strengths, and we did that with our selection of foreign players. It’s a mix of youngsters and veterans, and it’s not something we can take for granted in a country where we are unfortunately dealing with one war after another.“We had a deadline to put together this squad, and that was the start of the Toto Cup, so we could prepare as well as possible for the season ahead. There will be a lot of hard work both on and off the pitch. We want to raise the bar for our success this coming campaign. We will need to be very strong inside and out.”Bachar reflected once again on last season and acknowledged that both he and Refaelov will ultimately be judged by the results.“What occurred last season can’t happen again. We are aware of that. We weren’t a balanced team, and that was something I noticed immediately when I came in. We need to defend in a certain way, and that didn’t happen last season. That’s one of my core principles.”“I’m never one to run away from responsibility,” Refaelov stated. “The start of last season wasn’t ideal. We didn’t play the soccer that we wanted to play. We took the time to really examine our priorities, and we analyzed where players grew up and which youth departments they came through. We also looked at which players can play multiple positions and even the body types of certain players to determine where they fit best.”Bachar began training camp fairly early because the Greens usually compete in European qualifying, and the overseas location had already been booked well in advance. However, many of the new players had not yet signed. Despite not having a full squad, the bench boss felt the camp was a success and even suggested the club could hold another one later in the season.“The training camp dates were set well in advance because we thought we’d be playing in Europe. It may not have been ideal that we didn’t have our entire roster finalized at that point, but we still have plenty of time before the league season begins. The Toto Cup will be excellent preparation for us, and that should ensure we’re ready by the end of August. We have a good month now to work on everything we need before the season.”Maccabi Haifa Manager Barak Bakhar at the Toto Cup match between Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona at Miriam Stadium in Netanya, central Israel, July 28, 2026. (credit: Danny Maron/Flash90)New crop of players give a new look to the GreensWith a new group of players arriving, including foreigners Wenderson Tsunami, Nigel Lonwijk, Bruninho and Andrija Novakovich, along with Israelis Omri Glazer, Yair Mordechai and Yarin Levy, Bachar and Refaelov are determined to make this a new-look Maccabi Haifa.One player the pair believes will make an immediate impact is Yarin Levy, who spent last season on loan at Beitar Jerusalem and flourished under then-head coach Barak Itzhaki, emerging as one of the country’s top midfielders.“I’m so happy to see him back here,” Refaelov said with a smile. “In every conversation I had with him, he said how happy he was to return and how much he wants to succeed with us. I remember that when I came back from Belgium to play for Haifa, he came up from the youth team to train with us.”The sports director added, “I consider him a new signing, along with the players who have joined us and the loanees who have returned. Almost all of them will be on the pitch together, and we’re building something new here. The rebuilding process is based on young players who have already proven they can perform at this level, and that doesn’t conflict with the competitiveness we want to create. As long as Yarin is with us, I’d be delighted for him to stay here for many years.”Bachar also discussed Levy’s development“We’ve only been working together for a month, but he’s one of the players who receives the most individual attention. I regularly sit down with him for video sessions after every training session. He’s made tremendous progress over the past two years. He played for a club like Beitar, with a lot of pressure and high expectations, which is similar to what he’ll experience here. There’s still work to do with him, but he’s a wonderful kid who is very eager to learn. He knows he’s not perfect and wants to improve and correct his mistakes.”Refaelov also announced that Kenji Gorre, who recently returned from the World Cup, will be one of the team’s captains.“We just informed him that he will be one of the captains for the upcoming season, together with Omri Glazer and Ali Mohamed. I think he went through a difficult season, but he integrated very quickly into the dressing room. He’s intelligent, very positive, and knows how to separate his personal interests from what’s best for the team.“We established a number of criteria for what we wanted in a captain, and we came to the conclusion that Kenji is the right person. He returned from the World Cup highly motivated and determined to channel all the energy and experience he gained there into leading the team to a better season together with our supporters while trying to achieve good results and play enjoyable soccer.”Ultimately, Bachar knows that the proof will be in the results, and the Greens will have to show they are once again capable of competing for the league championship, returning to Europe and challenging for every available trophy.“The Maccabi Haifa emblem on our shirts speaks for itself when it comes to our goals for the upcoming season. I don’t need to say anything more.”See more Israeli sports coverage at www.sportsrabbi.com/enFollow us on Google