Yahoo News Rory Delap delivers 'what a year' understatement as he leaves Israel
Rory Delap is heading back to England after a dramatic year on and off the pitch at Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The Stoke City legend joined up with his old Republic of Ireland teammate Robbie Keane in Israel last summer after leaving his job at Stoke, where he had worked alongside Gary Rowett, Nathan Jones and Michael O'Neill before Alex Neil took over in August 2022.
Their task was to win back the Israeli championship title, which the club hadn't been able to get its hands on since 2020. And they were able to do it, finishing seven points ahead of Maccabi Haifa in the regular season and then 11 points clear by the end of the Championship round table. That earns a place in the Champions League second qualifying round while they also won the Toto Cup, the equivalent of the League Cup, and reached the last 16 of the European Conference League.
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It has all taken place against a backdrop of the crisis in the Middle East. Delap and Keane had to take refuge in panic rooms on at least two occasions and were emergency evacuated from the country in October. Football was suspended for a month while Tel Aviv played European 'home' matches in Switzerland, Spain and Serbia.
The coaching team - also featuring Dave Sarachan, Mike Stowell and Phillip Hudson - has now left.
Delap wrote on social media: "What a year! Hard to put into words with everything that happened this season.
"Shows that a lot of hard work and trust to bring everyone together and keep moving forward through the toughest of times what can be achieved.
"I can't thank Mitch (Goldhar, club owner), Jack (Angelides, the owner's representative), Ben (Mansford, chief executive) and Dom (Price, technical director), this incredible group of players and staff, the fans and everyone we became friends with in this beautiful crazy city enough as all contributed and sacrificed so much. I will never forget it."
