Supporters and Rivals
Maccabi has two main fan organizations, "The 12th Player" (founded 2000) and "Ultras Maccabi 96" (founded 1996). Maccabi fans have an agreement known as 'brotherhood' with the fans of Ajax thanks to the hospitality of both sides from the 2004/2005 season until today. Maccabi's Groups are located in Gate 11.
Maccabi's main rivals are Hapoel Tel Aviv, the country's second most successful club. The matches between the teams gain a lot of attention in the Israeli public and are referred to as the "Big Tel Aviv Derby" (as opposed to the "Small Tel Aviv Derby", matches between Bnei Yehuda and Maccabi or Hapoel). Other rivalries include, to a lesser extent, those with Beitar Jerusalem and Maccabi Haifa.
A survey conducted in March 2012 by Yedioth showed that Maccabi Tel Aviv is the second most popular team among Israeli football fans (23%). Same survey revealed that 33% of Tel Aviv residents support the team.
Read more about this topic: Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C.
Famous quotes containing the words supporters and/or rivals:
“The opposition is indispensable. A good statesman, like any other sensible human being, always learns more from his opponents than from his fervent supporters. For his supporters will push him to disaster unless his opponents show him where the dangers are. So if he is wise he will often pray to be delivered from his friends, because they will ruin him. But though it hurts, he ought also to pray never to be left without opponents; for they keep him on the path of reason and good sense.”
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974)
“What poet would not grieve to see
His brother write as well as he?
But rather than they should excel,
He’d wish his rivals all in Hell.”
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)