Lior Refaelov called it a career as the 39-year-old Israeli captain of Maccabi Haifa officially announced that he is retiring and will hang up his boots after a 20-year glorious career.
The Greens immediately announced that upon his retirement, the midfielder will be appointed head of the club’s scouting department. In that role, the club said, he will have “full responsibility for the scouting department and the acquisition of quality players who fit the club’s style of play and philosophy and who can advance the club to achievements.”
“All this, alongside promoting quality players from the youth department, as part of the club’s policy for promoting homegrown players. The role includes a combination of strategic planning, scouting, and assessing the abilities of football players, which is consistent with the club’s goals in a long-term strategic perspective.”
Refaelov grew up in the Or Akiva neighborhood close to Caesarea and began his youth career at Maccabi Haifa’s boarding school in Kfar Ganim.
He won the 2010/11 Israeli Player of the Year award, and that helped him launch a brilliant career in Belgium, where he featured for three of the country’s top clubs – Club Brugge, Antwerp, and Anderlecht – where he was an instrumental part of two league championships and three cups. Refaelov also won the Belgian Golden Shoe for being the best player in the country during the calendar year of 2020.
After 12 years in Belgium, he returned to Israel and Maccabi Haifa, where he was celebrated by fans and management alike.
The club’s CEO, Itzik Ovadia, said: “Lior is a rare figure and an integral part of Maccabi Haifa’s DNA. A professional, charismatic, and a person who lives and breathes the game. His appointment to the new position is natural and exciting. We believe he will contribute greatly to the future of the club.”
Refaelov, who played as a youth in the youth department of Maccabi Haifa, joined the senior team in 2004 and helped the Greens win three championships (2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11), before being sold to Club Brugge. After dominating the Premier League, the midfielder gradually became one of the best players in Belgian football, where he played from 2011 to 2023 and scored 86 goals and dished out 67 assists in 334 appearances.
This season, Refaelov has scored 10 league goals in 31 appearances. For the Israel National Team, where many thought he did not receive the respect he deserved, he recorded 39 appearances and tallied six goals throughout his career.
‘I had to consider my options’
Refaelov spoke about the stunning decision.
“I had a week full of mixed emotions, on the one hand joy and on the other hand a little sadness that I won’t be able to experience the sweet smell of the grass, getting up every morning for training, and having butterflies in my stomach before games. Management approached me to take on a role that I wanted to fill as the second chapter of my football career, but I did want to play one more season. However, there was a change of plans, and due to my desire and love for the game, I had to consider my options. I am grateful for the trust I received from owner Yanke’le [Yakov] Shachar and the management.”
“I really like having responsibility and I like making difficult decisions,” Refaelov said of his new position.
“Along with the tough moments that have occurred in recent years, there have also been a lot of good things, and we have to give credit to the team in place at the club at the time for those accomplishments. In my new role, we will try to minimize mistakes, but there is no magic in these types of things. The situation in Israel is very difficult in terms of finding import players, and it is a big challenge. First of all, you have to find the right profile of a player and only then move forward. The main priority is to find the players who will professionally help the club advance in the coming years.”
Refaelov admitted that the decision to step away from being an active player was quite a difficult one.
“It was a very tough decision to make. I always had a vision of retiring at the age of 40, celebrating 40 on the field. It was a joint decision with my family, first and foremost with my wife, who has accompanied me in everything, and then with my parents. An opportunity arose that came a year ahead of what I had planned, and now I will prepare to develop and learn over the upcoming years.”
With a couple of games left in the season, Haifa will not be battling it out for the league championship, but that doesn’t mean the future of the club won’t be on display.
“It’s a shame that we are not fighting for the title, and to be honest, I am less interested in who will be the champion than I am in representing the club with respect after a bad run of games. We owe it to the crowd and the club. Anyone who will be on the pitch for the balance of the season and for whom next season is important, they will have to give over 100% effort.”
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
