Eyal Golasa

Eyal Golasa

220px Eyal Golasa with Israel in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Eyal Golasa
Date of birth	(1991-10-07) October 7, 1991
Place of birth	Netanya, Israel
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	PAOK
Number	7
Youth career
2001–2008	Beitar Nes Tubruk
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2014	Maccabi Haifa	128	(13)
2014–	PAOK	33	(0)
International career
2007–2008	Israel U17	16	(3)
2008–2009	Israel U18	2	(0)
2008–2010	Israel U19	8	(1)
2008–2013	Israel U21	20	(1)
2010–	Israel	7	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 01 December 2015

Eyal Golasa (or Eyal Golsa, Hebrew: אייל גולסה‎), (born October 7, 1991 in Netanya) is an Israeli professional footballer who plays for PAOK as a midfielder.

Career

Club

Maccabi Haifa

Golasa came from the highly successful youth system of Beitar Nes Tubruk and, in the summer of 2008, he joined Maccabi Haifa. Golasa made his debut in the 2008–09 Israeli Premier League. The midfielder remained a substitute at the beginning of this season until coming off the bench in a UEFA Champions League match against Kazakh champion FK Aktobe on August 4. Golasa came off the bench, almost singlehandedly turning around a 0–3 deficit as Maccabi claimed a vital 4–3 victory. After leading Maccabi to the playoff stage of the UEFA Champions League, Golasa scored a goal against Red Bull Salzburg, as the Israelis won 3–0. This result enabled the Israelis to return to the group stages of Europe's elite competition. At that time he was being monitored by major European clubs. Websites specializing on football scouting would present him as the new star of the Israeli football.

Golasa has allegedly signed a contract with Italian club S.S. Lazio on February 1, 2010. On 6 February 2010 S.S. Lazio announced the movement of the talented half-forward on a 4 years and a half deal, with a €4 million release clause. However Lazio, which had purchased Golasa last January and had to give up on him just because of bureaucratic troubles, are going to track him starting from next summer transfer market. Unfortunately, this move never happened. Maccabi Haifa swiftly reported S.S. Lazio to CAS in order to keep Golasa. Their arguments are strong: signing without the consent of the club, damage of the image of the club. The club based their case on the Israeli laws that forbids minors from signing contracts unless their parents consent, plus the fact that he hadn't gone through his military duty yet.

In March 2013, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim were rumored to be interested in the services of Golasa, after scoring in Israel U-21s 1–2 loss over Germany U-21s.

He was suspended for six months by Maccabi Haifa after agreeing to sign a new contract. He made a verbal agreement but later backed out, causing club boss Jacob Shachar to suspend him until the end of the season, after which he was sold to PAOK.

PAOK

On 24 June 2014 he was transferred to the Greek football team PAOK for an undisclosed fee till summer 2017. Golasa couldn't help the club during the Super League 2014–15 play-offs as he suffered a 2nd degree sprain in the left groin and according to medical reports will be back in action after four to six weeks.

Style of play

Golasa is a central midfielder who can play as a playmaker and left midfielder. He is a skilful, modern versatile midfielder who is most comfortable playing an attacking midfielder role; he also can play as a winger or a central midfielder. He has similar characteristics to Barcelona player Iniesta and former footballer Xavi, as well as Mesut Ozil. He has very good touch on the ball, the ability to use both feet, has a great vision and is a great dribbler. He enjoys making fast offensive bursts in the final 3rd of the pitch and has an eye for the goal. He frequently tries scoring long distance goals, but his accuracy and power have to be heavily refined before he will become a deadly long range striker on the ball. In recent times, he has been improving his finishing attributes and Maccabi Haifa has already benefitted from his vital goals. In order for Eyal Golasa to develop into a solid, elegant, all round midfielder, he needs to improve on his strength and fitness; this will then allow him to enter the football elite.

International

Golasa has played extensively for his nation at youth level from the under-17 side, to the under-21 side. On 9 February 2011, he made his international debut in a 2–0 home friendly loss against Serbia.

Club career statistics

(correct as of September 2015)

Club	Season	League			Cup			Toto Cup			Europe			Total
		Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists
Maccabi Haifa	2008–09	27	1	0	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	33	1	0
Maccabi Haifa	2009–10	16	5	2	0	0	0	4	0	0	10	2	0	30	7	2
Maccabi Haifa	2010–11	26	2	1	3	0	0	4	1	0	2	0	0	35	3	1
Maccabi Haifa	2011–12	25	3	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	12	2	3	39	5	5
Maccabi Haifa	2012–13	27	2	2	2	0	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	32	2	3
Maccabi Haifa	2013–14	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	2	1	11	2	2
PAOK	2014–15	24	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	7	0	1	34	0	1
PAOK	2015–16	7	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	12	0	0
Career		150	13	8	10	0	1	17	1	0	38	6	5	215	20	14

Honours

Club

Maccabi Haifa

• Israeli Premier League (2): 2008–09, 2010–11

External links

• Stats at IFA
• Eyal Golasa at National-Football-Teams.com
• Official Site