Alex Zahavi

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

<templatestyles src="Module:Infobox/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Alex Zahavi
Personal information
Full name Alexander Abraham Zahavi
Date of birth (1991-01-21) 21 January 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth Los Angeles, California, United States
Height Script error: No such module "person height".
Position(s) Winger, Forward
Youth career
1998–1999 Hapoel Haifa
1999–2002 Benfica
2002–2004 Arsenal
2005–2007 Barcelona
2007–2010 Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2013 Maccabi Haifa 0 (0)
2011 Hapoel Acre (loan) 10 (0)
2011–2012 Vitória Setúbal (loan) 1 (0)
2012–2013 Olhanense (loan) 0 (0)
International career
Portugal U-16 7 (0)
2007 Portugal U-17 8 (3)
Portugal U-18 9 (2)
Portugal U-19 3 (0)
2010 United States U-20 2 (1)
2011 Israel U-21 3 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 May 2011
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 03:12, 13 July 2015 (UTC)

Alexander "Alex" Abraham Zahavi (born January 21, 1991) is a retired Israeli soccer player.

Zahavi was born in the United States, the son of a Portuguese mother and Israeli father. He has represented Portugal at youth levels but considered switching federations so he can represent the United States.[1] He is the great nephew of football agent Pini Zahavi. Zahavi is a winger who plays on the left side of midfield, even though he is right-footed.

Club career

Youth

Zahavi has played in the youth system for Hapoel Haifa, Benfica, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Sporting Clube de Portugal.

He started out playing in the Hapoel Haifa system at the age of seven, but due to the league not allowing players under the age of nine to participate, his family decided to move to Lisbon so he could improve his skills. During a return trip to Israel in 2002 for a youth tournament, a scout from Arsenal invited him to London for a trial. After his first day, the club offered him a contract and he stayed with the team for two years. After a tournament in 2004, he moved to Barcelona where he was offered a three-year contract with a possible seven-year extension.[2]

In 2007, Zahavi decided to move to Sporting Clube de Portugal because he felt he had a better chance of making their first squad.[3]

Professional career

On July 16, 2010, Zahavi joined Maccabi Haifa on trial trying to impress Elisha Levy. On July 26 he was presented as a Maccabi Haifa player after he signed a contract with the club.

Zahavi joined Israeli Premier League club Hapoel Acre in February 2011 on loan for the remainder of the 2010–11 season.[4]

On July 7, Maccabi Haifa announced that they extended Zahavi's contract through the 2015 season, and are loaning him to Portuguese top flight team Vitória de Setúbal for the 2011–12 season.[5] Zahavi joined Portuguese top-flight side S.C. Olhanense for the 2012-2013 season.[6]

International career

Zahavi represented Portugal at various youth levels but was never called into the senior team. Because he played in an official UEFA U17[7] qualifying tournament for Portugal, he was cap tied to their national team under FIFA eligibility rules.[8] However, since he is also eligible to play for Israel or the United States, he was allowed to file for a one-time only switch with FIFA.[9]

Zahavi was called up to the United States U-20's team in November 2010 for the Torneo de las Americas.[10]

On 20 February 2011, Zahavi was called in for his first Israel U-21 camp.[11] Three days later Zahavi played in a friendly with the under-21 side against FC Arsenal Kyiv.[12] In March 2011, Zahavi was brought in for another training camp.[13] On 17 March 2011 Zahavi was named to the under-21 side for a tournament in Austria.[14] Zahavi made his debut for the side in a friendly against Georgia on 23 March 2011.[15] Zahavi scored his first goal for the under-21 side in a friendly against Romania on 26 March 2011 in Austria.[16] Zahavi floated the ball over the Romanian goalkeeper from 35 metres out after exchanging passes with Nes Zamir.[16]

Statistics

As of 28 November 2013[17]
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Israel League Israel State Cup Toto Cup Europe Total
2010–11 Maccabi Haifa Liga Al 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 5 0
Hapoel Acre (loan) 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0
Portugal League Taca de Portugal Taça da Liga Europe Total
2011–12 Vitoria Primeira Liga 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2012–13 S.C. Olhanense Primeira Liga 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career total 11 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 17 0

References

External links