"This is a really cruel punishment. They took away the advantage we had"
Players at Maccabi Tel Aviv are dejected before the match against CSKA Sofia, as they will again play in front of empty stands. Tyrese Asante may start for the first time this season (Thursday, 19:00, Sport1).
There is great disappointment at Maccabi Tel Aviv following the punishment received on Monday for the use of pyrotechnics during last week's match against Sheriff Tiraspol in Batumi. The club was fined 40,000 euros by the UEFA disciplinary committee, but the more significant blow is that the team will be forced to host the upcoming match against CSKA Sofia (Thursday, 19:00, Sport1) behind closed doors.
A Maccabi Tel Aviv player expressed his frustration yesterday:
"Just when we moved to a new stadium in Batumi, with fans who can easily reach it, we have to play without an audience. This is a really cruel punishment. We enjoyed ourselves so much last week when the fans were with us, especially after last season in Serbia where we barely felt any support. It is a pity that this is the situation. We will try to do the job for the fans who remain in Israel. They took away the advantage that we were supposed to have."
As previously reported, Maccabi Tel Aviv learned yesterday who its opponent will be in the Europa League playoff round should it advance past the Bulgarian side. The club hopes to overcome CSKA Sofia in the two-legged tie to face Greek Cup holder OFI Crete, aiming for a third consecutive qualification for the league stage of the competition. In any event, by reaching this stage, Maccabi Tel Aviv has guaranteed its participation in the Conference League at the very least.
This morning, the team will hold another training session after coach Kenny Miller adjusted the schedule, opting for the players to rest on Saturday instead of today. It is estimated that there is a good chance Tyrese Asante will start in the lineup for the first time this season. In such a scenario, Miller may switch to a three-center-back formation during the match, with Asante playing alongside Ali Mohamed Kamara and Raz Shlomo.
