Cover Photo: Maccabi Tel Aviv FC

The 2024-25 Winner League soccer playoffs got underway on Saturday, with Hapoel Beer Sheva defeating Maccabi Netanya 2-0 and Maccabi Tel Aviv defeating Hapoel Haifa in the Upper Playoff bracket, while Ironi Tiberius and Hapoel Hadera played out a 1-1 draw, Hapoel Kiryat Shmona defeated Maccabi Petah Tikvah 2-1 and Hapoel Jerusalem defeated Bnei Sakhnin 4-1 in the Lower Playoff bracket.

At Bloomfield, former hostages, Maccabi fan Emily Damari and Hapoel Haifa fan Romi Gonen, joined the players on the pitch in an emotional pregame ceremony. Gonen took the field in a red Haifa jersey, while Damari was wearing a yellow t-shirt with the image of close friends Gali and Zivi Berman, the words “You will never walk alone,” and the number 526 on it, marking the number of days that they have been in captivity.

צמרמורת כזו הרבה זמן לא היתה בבלומפילד 🥹

אמילי ורומי, כמה כיף שאתן איתנו 🤟
מחכים לכולם 🎗️ pic.twitter.com/RxuksVgRdA

— Maccabi Tel Aviv FC (@MaccabiTLVFC) March 15, 2025

“Two months ago on the 19th of January, Emily Damari and Romi Gonen were freed from captivity after 471 days in Gaza,” Maccabi announcer Shay Sidi began the ceremony. “We are all here tonight not only for a soccer game, but also to celebrate the lives, the heroism, the freedom and the invincible spirit. We have waited for this moment for so much time, our two heroes have returned home and are here with us in the stadium.

“Emily’s jersey which was continuously next to the players’ bench the whole time while she was in captivity until her release, following which it was waiting for her in the changerooms. Here on my right is Maccabi captain Eran Zahavi, on my left Hapoel Haifa’s team manager Dudu Dotan and captain Dor Malul are here, to present Emily and Romi with their jerseys! You are heroes – real heroes. Thank you!”

“I want to say thank you very much to both Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Haifa and to all the fans,” Gonen said to the 20,000-strong crowd. “Thank you for fighting for us, we need to fight for all the other hostages who are in Gaza. Yalla, Hapoel!”

“My dear brothers and sisters in the stands, my dear Maccabi family. I could not find the words to express the deep gratitude that I feel in my heart. When I was in my darkest days in captivity, you were my light. In the rare days on which I had a radio, I heard that we had won the championship [referring to Maccabi winning the 2023-24 league title], I screamed even when it was forbidden to scream!

“When I was released, I heard about your struggle – about the chants, the signs and the prayers, you did not give up on me,” Damari continued. “Maccabi Tel Aviv is not only a team, it is a family. You have proven it at every moment and my heart fills with love for you. But my heart is also heavy. It has already been 526 days and 74 Shabbats since Gali and Zivi [Berman], the dear twins, my souls, are still hostages in Gaza. I stand here today and I swear – we will not stop until they return home. Our struggle is not over. Like true Maccabistim [Maccabi supporters], we will continue to fight with all our strength and soul until everyone returns. This is the true meaning of loyalty, of unity, of a true yellow heart.”

Damari then walked towards the Maccabi fanatics in the crowd and, with her encouragement, the whole stadium burst into song chanting for Maccabi.

“It’s incredible what they survived there,” Maccabi coach Žarko Lazetic said after the game when asked about the pregame ceremony. “One hundred percent, that’s the most important thing – their lives. We spoke about that in the dressing room. For the players, it was more motivation for the game.”

“Before anything, what we saw today with Emily was crazy,” goal scorer Ido Shachar said. “It gave us energy. I can tell you we all had shivers. We felt something that we have experienced until now. We are so happy that she is here with Romi. We are really happy for them.

“Amazing, shivers,” Shachar said of what the players felt when Damari was chanting with the crowd. “I think that really, the first goal was for her. We opened the game well with energy and I believe that it helped us.”

Gonen was also hosted by Hapoel Haifa in the changerooms prior to the game and there was not a dry eye among the team.

“It was an exciting event with Romi and Emily,” Hapoel Haifa coach Ronny Levy said after the game. “We have known Romi’s father since the moment that she was captured. He was optimistic the whole time, he kept saying that everything would be ok and she will return home. The people are the most important. We want everyone to return home and we hope that everyone will be ok.”