# Maccabi Rishon LeZion (handball)

Maccabi Rishon LeZion (Hebrew: מכבי ראשון לציון) is a professional handball club from the city of Rishon LeZion, Israel. They compete in the Israeli Handball League, within the Israeli first division.

## History

Maccabi Rishon Lezion was founded in 1950 by Danny Reingold, Mishka Davidson, Mena Davidson, Prof. Arnon Sofer and Motella Rosenstein. He won his first championship in 1959. In 1964, the club disbanded for one season and was re-established a season later. The team's biggest achievement in the European Cups was on its first appearance there in 1983 when it reached the EHF Cup Winners' Cup semifinal, losing to the Spanish team FC Barcelona. After some bad years in the 1990s, the team returned to success: between 2003 and 2007 it won three championships and four cups. During its history, it won 18 national championships (in 1959, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1992, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2021 and 2023), 12 national cups (1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2003 , 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2019). Their biggest rival is Hapoel Rishon LeZion, another great Rishon LeZion team. The derby games between them have been very tense throughout the last two decades.

## Crest, colours, supporters
### Kits

HOME :
* 2022–23
AWAY :
* 2022–23

## Sports Hall information

* Arena: - Beit Maccabi Sport Centre
* City: - Rishon LeZion
* Capacity: - 1500
* Address: - Golda Meir 21. 25002 Rishon LeZion, Israel

## Team
### Current squad

    Squad for the 2023–24 season
Maccabi Rishon LeZion :
Goalkeepers
01 Gradimir Čanevski
16 Eitan Elbaz
27 Tal Yossi Ilioukhine
Left Wingers
09 Aviv Leifer
20 Ravid Noyman
24 Nadav Nizri
Right Wingers
14 Alon Shulman
18 Idan Mena
55 Guy Gera
Line Players
13 Itay Yakov Schvaifel
33 Gal Azriel
79 Adi Cohen
Central Backs
11 Noy Fayerman
19 Pavel Atman
29 Ivan Karačić
35 Itay Shalma
Left Backs
10 Yizhak Meloul
Right Backs
08 Yermiyahu Sidi :

### Technical staff

* Physiotherapist: Nelly Aminov

### Transfers

    Transfers for the 2023–24 season

## Previous squads

2018–2019 Team :
| Shirt No | Nationality | Player | Birth Date | Position |
| 2 | Israel | Snir Natsia | (1999-08-26) 26 August 1999 (age 25) | Line Player |
| 3 | Israel | Yoav Neeman | (1980-01-06) 6 January 1980 (age 45) | Right Winger |
| 5 | Israel | Omer Gera | (1992-07-28) 28 July 1992 (age 32) | Line Player |
| 7 | Israel | Bar Masuri | (1990-10-23) 23 October 1990 (age 34) | Left Winger |
| 8 | Israel | Yermiyahu Sidi | (1994-01-14) 14 January 1994 (age 31) | Right Back |
| 9 | Croatia | Marko Matić | (1988-01-25) 25 January 1988 (age 37) | Left Back |
| 10 | Israel | Vladislav Kofman | (1988-04-16) 16 April 1988 (age 36) | Central Back |
| 11 | Serbia | Rastko Stojković | (1981-07-12) 12 July 1981 (age 43) | Line Player |
| 12 | Romania | Vasile Iulian Strat | (1975-01-01) 1 January 1975 (age 50) | Goalkeeper |
| 13 | Israel | Yonatan Rosental | (1989-08-18) 18 August 1989 (age 35) | Left Winger |
| 14 | Israel | Dan Tepper | (1994-03-04) 4 March 1994 (age 31) | Goalkeeper |
| 18 | Israel | Daniel Andres Friedmann | (1990-11-19) 19 November 1990 (age 34) | Right Winger |
| 22 | Israel | Ram Turkenitz | (1995-09-26) 26 September 1995 (age 29) | Left Back |
| 24 | Israel | Amit Stelman | (1993-01-09) 9 January 1993 (age 32) | Right Winger |
| 29 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Ivan Karačić | (1985-05-26) 26 May 1985 (age 39) | Central Back |
| 32 | Israel | Eldar Shikloshi | (1990-03-05) 5 March 1990 (age 35) | Goalkeeper |
| 55 | Israel | Rotem Segal | (1999-06-29) 29 June 1999 (age 25) | Right Back |
| 89 | Israel | Kesem Amiel | (2000-01-03) 3 January 2000 (age 25) | Left Winger |
2016–2017 Team :
| Shirt No | Nationality | Player | Birth Date | Position |
| 3 | Israel | Yoav Neeman | (1980-01-06) 6 January 1980 (age 45) | Right Winger |
| 5 | Israel | Omer Gera | (1992-07-28) 28 July 1992 (age 32) | Line Player |
| 7 | Croatia | Robert Markotić | (1990-03-07) 7 March 1990 (age 35) | Right Back |
| 9 | Israel | Gal Moshe Avraham | (1981-08-15) 15 August 1981 (age 43) | Left Winger |
| 10 | Israel | Vladislav Kofman | (1988-04-16) 16 April 1988 (age 36) | Central Back |
| 11 | Israel | Dor Pinhas Kalderon | (1995-07-28) 28 July 1995 (age 29) | Central Back |
| 12 | Romania | Vasile Iulian Strat | (1975-01-01) 1 January 1975 (age 50) | Goalkeeper |
| 15 | Israel | Dor Geva | (1990-03-12) 12 March 1990 (age 34) | Left Winger |
| 16 | Israel | Raz Zecharia | (1997-07-31) 31 July 1997 (age 27) | Goalkeeper |
| 18 | Israel | Daniel Andres Friedmann | (1990-11-19) 19 November 1990 (age 34) | Right Winger |
| 19 | Israel | Roee Biton | (1990-10-02) 2 October 1990 (age 34) | Left Winger |
| 23 | Slovenia | Rok Praznik | (1980-03-15) 15 March 1980 (age 44) | Central Back |
| 24 | Israel | Amit Stelman | (1993-01-09) 9 January 1993 (age 32) | Right Winger |
| 26 | Israel | Tal Gera | (1995-11-20) 20 November 1995 (age 29) | Line Player |
| 29 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Ivan Karačić | (1985-05-26) 26 May 1985 (age 39) | Central Back |
| 32 | Israel | Eldar Shikloshi | (1990-03-05) 5 March 1990 (age 35) | Goalkeeper |
| 55 | Israel | Rotem Segal | (1999-06-29) 29 June 1999 (age 25) | Right Back |
| 91 | Israel | Matan Golz | (1994-01-10) 10 January 1994 (age 31) | Central Back |
| 99 | Serbia | David Rašić | (1986-12-04) 4 December 1986 (age 38) | Left Back |

## Titles

* Winner League
** Winner (18) : 1959, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1992, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2023
* Israel Handball Cup
** Winner (12) : 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2019

## EHF ranking

    As of 6/3/2024
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 110 | SKA Minsk | 44 |
| 111 | MT Melsungen | 44 |
| 112 | BK-46 | 44 |
| 113 | Maccabi Rishon LeZion | 43 |
| 114 | Handball Käerjeng | 42 |
| 115 | RK Vogošća | 42 |
| 116 | Dinamo Viktor Stavropol | 42 |

## Former club members
### Notable former players

* Ivan Karačić (2016–)
* Robert Markotić (2016–2017)
* Marko Matić (2018–2019)
* Milorad Krivokapić (2014–2015)
* Radivoje Ristanović (2017–2018)
* Silviu Băiceanu (2011)
* Pavel Atman (2022–)
* Rok Praznik (2016–2017)
* Renato Vugrinec (2015–2016)
* Luis Felipe Jiménez Reina (2017–2018)
* Branko Kankaraš (2021–2022)
* Duško Milinović (2008–2009)
* Rastko Stojković (2018–2019)