24 years after the death of the late Yeshayahu Schwager: Maccabi Haifa legends held a tournament in his memory

(haipo) – Yeshayahu (Shaya) Schwager, the man who lived and breathed football every moment • A tournament under the banner of "Remembering the Kidnapped" In the shadow of the war, an exhibition game and an exciting and nostalgic salute were held after 24 consecutive years for the "Schwager Cup" tournament • This year's tournament remembers and embraces the kidnapped and hopes for their speedy return home.

In a special and exciting event that combines community, society and sports, the Hof Carmel Regional Council Cup Tournament was held today (Friday, 9.5.2025) in Moshav Tserufa in Hof Carmel, in the name of the late Yeshayahu (Shaya) Schwager, who was for many years a former player and beloved defender of the Maccabi Haifa team and the Israeli national team. This year too, the event was held and marked with the theme "Remembering the Kidnapped", when during the tournament the children who took part in the event released dozens of yellow balloons into the sky and wished for the return home and the arrival of our kidnapped men and women who are being held captive by the murderous and cruel terrorist organization Hamas in Gaza.

The result of the game: Maccabi Haifa veterans defeated the Hof Carmel veterans with a nice and easy victory of 0:2 and at the end of the game they were able to lift the trophy, which was hoisted by the veteran captain, 65-year-old Avraham Aboukert. It should be noted that the team's coach Moshe Select's players dominated unchallenged throughout the game, and the two goals for Maccabi Haifa were scored by Shahar Siman-Tov.

Afterwards, the final match for the Council Cup was held, when at the end of the game and with the successful conclusion of the tournament, the "Ha'otrim" team came out on top and defeated the Atlit team with a score of 0:1, winning the title of Schweger Cup holder for the 2025 season. The Schweger Cup has been held for 24 consecutive years and is produced with great care year after year by the Sports Department of the Hof Carmel Regional Council, headed by the head of the council, Assaf Isaac, and led and managed with the strong hand of Sports Coordinator Nadav Davidovich, the event manager, who worked day and night to ensure the impressive and honorable success of this important tournament event.

The "Schwager Cup" tournament is an active life's work in commemoration of the late Schwager, which is being played this year for the 24th consecutive year. The traditional tournament is held every year in Moshav Tserufa, where Schwager lived for many years, and over the years has become a household name and a big, happy cultural and sports event for children, the whole family, and all football fans of all ages, from young to old.

Among other things, they came to the game to honor the memory of the late Schwager. There were many veteran players of the Greens from Haifa who played on the field, including: Avraham (Amed) Abukert, Asher Bohdana, Assi Avrahami, Shahar Siman-Tov and his brother Nadiv Siman-Tov, Shaye Schwager's son Ailon Schwager, Gadi Ohayon, Shlomi Itach, Shai Politi, Maor Janach and Eli Oved. On the lines for the Greens was the team's coach, the legendary former player Moshe Selecter, and the game was properly refereed by referee Or Ben Ami.  

Also present to honor the memory of the late Schwager were many public figures and people from the world of football and sports in Haifa and in Israel in general, former players and veteran fans, including: Eitan Aharoni, Alon Harazi, former goalkeeper Nir Davidovitz, manager of the veterans' team Aryeh Barzilai, the adoptive mother of Maccabi Haifa's former veterans, the CEO and owner of the "La Capella" hotel in Haifa, Dafna Ulman, who came with her mother and brother, mentor and lecturer Alon Ulman, Haim Elkayim, Shlomo Bando, Haim Forte, Gabi Yifrach, who was known for many years as "Gabi Aron Kir", Moshe (Palvera) Leibman, Rafi Avni, Deputy Head of the Hof Carmel Regional Council, Director of the Sports Department of the Hof Carmel Regional Council Adi Rabaun, Sports Coordinator Nadav Davidovitz, Sigal Davidovitz, Secretary of the Sports Department, and many more well-wishers whose names are too short to list. From containing them. 

At the end of the Legends Game, Yifat Ben Avraham, the daughter of the late Shwager, spoke moving words, saying: "Year after year we meet on the green lawn in Moshav Zerufa for a wonderful and exciting football celebration. Veterans and young people all gather together to take part in the celebration as spectators, fans or players, all football lovers who come to pay their respects to my father, Shaya Shwager, who was called the last station by the fans.

Dad lived and breathed football every moment of his life. Sometimes he breathed football as a player, coach, spectator on the field or watching from the couch. Football was the blood that flowed through his veins and the joy that shook his heartstrings. You Maccabi Haifa veterans and fans were his family and he loved you with all his heart. Dad was a strong player – he knew how to jump to surprising heights, run and plan moves, but most of all Dad was a loving, sensitive man, a loyal friend, a father to the young players on the team, a mentor to the veterans and most importantly he saw everyone as equal. Oded once told me that at the end of a game Dad, as the team captain, would receive money from the fans for the players and would distribute it to everyone equally, whether they were young players just starting out or veteran players. Everyone received an equal amount, including himself. In his life, Dad didn't win any major titles, but he was honored to enter the history books and play in the World Cup in "Mexico 70" with the one and only team that qualified for the games. He was honored to wear the Maccabi Haifa uniform that he loved so much and was the team captain for many years.

"I want to thank everyone who bothers and organizes the place every year, to the Mirav Center and the wonderful team, to you the players and to everyone who left everything and came to the celebration. I'm sure that Dad is watching from above, excited and delighted by the organization and the joy around. This year too, we are celebrating in the shadow of war - I send a big hug to the bereaved families, a speedy recovery to the wounded, and I pray for the safe return of our soldiers to their homes and for the return of the kidnapped today."

The event was open to the general public and, according to tradition, the audience was also an active part of the event, where participants and spectators enjoyed teqball table games operated by Teqball Israel, music, raffles, prizes, barbecues, seating concessions, cold drinks, popcorn, ice cream and popsicles, cotton candy, watermelons, dictionaries and seasonal fruits, and many other surprises throughout the event and in abundance, all of which are of course free of charge.

Another organizer of the cup tournament and exhibition game named after the late Yeshayahu (Shaya) Schwager was, of course, his son, former player Ailon Schwager, who was as excited as ever at the event, and said: "I am extremely excited, I am all excited here today to see all the crowds who came to honor the memory of my late father, and all this despite the fact that 24 years have passed, and this is not at all obvious. This is proof of what a beloved figure and personality my father was. It is no secret that the "Schwager Tournament" from a family tournament has become, over the years, a common good, and this is what is beautiful, important, and especially moving to me. 

Congratulations to the "Ha-Hootrim" team for winning the Schweger Cup for 2025, thanks to all the partners in this enterprise that has been taking place for 24 years, thanks to the Maccabi "Shaya" Haifa Pre-A team (holder of the State Cup) who came to an exhibition game and to lap with the cup, thanks to the Maccabi Haifa and Hof Carmel legends for an exhibition game in the best tradition of the Schweger Cup. Thanks to the Atlit team and the rowers for an exciting final game and fascinating football! Thanks to the Mirab Center Sports Department, Siggi, Nadav, Adi and the entire team for the organization and work, without you none of this would have happened! Thanks to Moshav Tserufa, the Moshav Tserufa Committee and all the residents who joined forces to make the event a success. Thanks to Moti Mizrahi, Idan Hagnan, Elroei Atiya, Amram Adato, Doron Sadon Merav, the community manager, and many more. Thanks to all the operators of the fruit, popcorn, sugar, popsicles and drinks stands!

Thank you to Taqball Israel for operating the Taqball tables throughout the event. Thank you to Niko and Gilad! Thank you to Rafi Avni, Deputy Mayor of the Council, for his respectful presence and support over the years in the Schwaiger Cup project, and to Asif Izza, Mayor of the Council, even though he was unable to attend this time, he was always a full partner! Thank you to the amazing photographers! Thank you to the host and DJ for the music and creating a wonderful atmosphere and smiles! Thank you to all the audience, the parents and children and the people who come from afar, you are the beating heart of the Schwaiger Cup! Thank you to everyone I forgot, thank you to my father Shaya Schwaiger, the late. This has long since become an enterprise that belongs to the residents of the Carmel Coast. Thank you to the Creator of the World and with a prayerful blessing that all the kidnapped and missing will return home soon!

Yeshayahu Schweger, considered the best defender of Maccabi Haifa of all time, played 410 games (360 league games and 50 cup games) in the team's uniform in 14 seasons. Schwegger played on the team captain standard for several seasons. "The boss" and "the last station" were nicknames that accompanied him throughout the years. Despite the glorious career, he did not win a title with the team. After Schwegger's death, it was decided in the Maccabi Haifa football club to commemorate his memory and the name of the late Schwegger was given to a children's group called Maccabi Yeshayahu Haifa.

The late Schwegger played with the Israel national team in the 1970 World Cup, the only World Cup for which the team qualified to date, which was held in Mexico. Schwegger excelled in the match against the Italian team when he masterfully guarded the striker Luigi Riva, who was one of the best players in the world. Schwegger appeared 37 times in the uniform of the Israeli national team during his career. On 31.8.2000 he died of cardiac arrest and was the first player to pass away from the Israeli national team that qualified for the World Cup. He was 54 years old when he died.

There is no doubt that the tournament and games this year were also wonderfully organized and extremely exciting. May the memory of former player Yeshayahu (Shaya) Schwager be blessed!