There is nothing more exciting and overwhelming than this! The football clubs of "Maccabi Haifa" and "Hapoel Haifa" are excited today (Sunday, 19/1/2025) with the return of the ardent fans of the green and red team, Maccabi Haifa fan Doron Steinbracher, and Hapoel Haifa fan Romi Gonen from Hamas captivity, and in addition with the return of the kidnapped Emily Damari, a fan of the Maccabi Tel Aviv team.
The Maccabi Haifa Green Football Club is moved to tears by the return home of the team's fan, Doron Steinbracher, who was kidnapped by Hamas. As you may recall, Doron was kidnapped from her home in the Gaza village on October 7th, and since then, for over a year and three months, the club has been accompanying her family and the families of all the kidnapped fans of the team.
Doron's father, Roni, has been with the team for decades and infected Doron with the green germ. He never took off his green scarf for a moment, both in Hatufim Square and wherever he appeared. Throughout the difficult period, the club stood by Roni and Simona. Roni even flew with the team to a soccer game in Europe.
In the last derby game, Yamit, Doron's sister, and Jordan, Romy Gonen's sister, came up to serve the game ball to the referee. Today, they both returned home from captivity!
Maccabi Haifa Football Club CEO Itzik Ovadia: "Tears of excitement never stop flowing, and this is true for all the club's employees and people. Both Roni and Simona have become an inseparable part of our club, and to know that in these moments they are hugging Doron is the greatest happiness we could ask for. Of course, we do not forget for a moment that Hamas is holding other hostages, and we hope for the speedy, safe return of Matan Engerst and Guy Gilboa Dalal, and for the return of Inbar Heyman's body for burial in Israel. And of course, for the return of all the other hostages alive, amen."
The Hapoel Haifa Red Football Club told "Haifa News Corporation": "Romi is back!" With extraordinary excitement and with tears of joy, we welcome the return of Romi, Doron and Emily home! The club is accompanying her father Eitan and Romi's family throughout this long, difficult and painful period and has issued her a subscription for the current game season and a shirt bearing her name. It should be noted that before the game tomorrow (Monday, January 20.1.2025, XNUMX) against Ashdod, the club will hold a special ceremony on the occasion of Romi's return and with a prayer for the safe return home of all the other abductees in our time, and they will be decorated with yellow balloons.
After 471 days in captivity, Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbracher and Emily Damari have returned home. The three who were kidnapped in the Gaza Strip by Hamas on October 7, 2023 returned alive tonight (Sunday, January 19.1.2025, 7) in the first phase of the deal. Doron and Emily are residents of Kfar Aza Gaza who were kidnapped from their homes on the kibbutz on the morning of Black Sabbath, October XNUMX. Romi was kidnapped from a car while trying to escape the Nuba Festival near Kibbutz Re'im in the south.
Romi Gonen, who lives in the northern village of Kfar HaVoradim, celebrated her 24th birthday while in Hamas captivity, was kidnapped from her car while the others with her were murdered. Romi and her family are fans of the Reds, the Hapoel Haifa team, and the club has accompanied the family throughout their long period of captivity to this day, giving her and Romi game tickets, staying in constant contact with her, and even launching a special T-shirt with a special print that says “Romi is back.”
Doron Steinbracher, a 31-year-old Maccabi Haifa fan from Kfar Aza, was kidnapped from her home while wearing pajamas. She managed to write to her family in a WhatsApp message that she had been kidnapped, and since then, only one official sign of life has been received from her, in which she appeared ill. Doron, a veterinary nurse by profession, loved to play sports and used to go with her father to watch the games of the Maccabi Haifa Greens team, which has surrounded her family since the kidnapping on October 7.
In the recent Haifa derby held on November 4 at the "Teddy" Stadium in Jerusalem, Yarden Gonen, Romy's sister, and Yamit Ashkenazi, Doron's sister, appeared wearing Hapoel and Maccabi Haifa shirts with the names of the kidnapped girls, before the start of the game. The teams honored the families and all together called for their speedy return in a moving ceremony. We have no doubt that Romy and Doron will already be watching the upcoming derby to be held on February 10 in Haifa from the stands at the "Sami Ofer" Stadium in Haifa.