Tomer Havez 03/26/2024 12:38
Tal Ben Haim (Radad Jabara)
at the age of 34, Tal Ben Haim Officially announced his retirement from football today (Tuesday). After retirement, the striker will immediately take up a professional position at Maccabi Petah Tikva, the club where he started and finished his senior career and will serve as the technical director and the head of the Malaves’ scout system, as was first published in ONE.
Ben Haim, who was born in Kfar Saba, began playing football in the youth department of Hapoel Kfar Saba and also moved through the youth department of Bnei Yehuda until he reached the youth department of Maccabi Petah Tikva, in whose ranks he made his senior debut in March 2007 in the Toto Cup match once morest Hapoel Tel Aviv. After six years in which he excelled in the blue uniform, in 2012, following Petah Tikva was relegated to the National League, Ben Haim signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv, which paid half a million euros for him.
A season later, he crossed the road to Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he recorded his significant years in his career and won two championships, the State Cup and the Toto Cup. After four seasons in the yellow uniform, he went to Europe for the first time in his career and signed with Sparta Prague for 2.9 million euros, an amount that broke the transfer record of the Czech league at the time. Despite this, Ben Haim suffered a torn cruciate ligament, did not have great success overseas and returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv following three years.
Tal Ben Haim in Maccabi Tel Aviv uniform (Itzik Blanitsky)
After two years in which he won the State Cup, the Toto Cup and the Champions League with the Yellows, he returned to the team where he started his senior career, Maccabi Petah Tikva, and was one of the most prominent players in its journey last season back to the Premier League. This season he made seven league appearances, the last once morest Maccabi Tel Aviv in December 2023.
Ben Haim ended a particularly impressive career with 469 appearances in all formats, in which he scored 105 goals and added 43 assists. He has 29 appearances and six goals for the Israeli national team, including an unforgettable one once morest Gianluigi Buffon and the Italian national team.
Tal Ben Haim in the uniform of the Israeli national team (Noam Moreno)
In his retirement announcement he wrote: “Three months ago in the match (of course not) between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Tel Aviv, it was the last time I got off the field and I knew it was the end, that I mightn’t do it anymore. Today I am summing up 17 and a half years of everything from everything, I feel lucky that I got to retire in the place where it all started, but I also know that this end is the beginning of something new that I am no less excited regarding. I am proud of everything I have achieved and all the dreams that have become reality over the years. Thanks to everyone who helped, supported, encouraged and made me better. I mightn’t ask for more. Thank you, dear football, see you on the other side.”
The first publication regarding Ben Haim’s role in ONE (the ONE system)