Barak Yitzhaki

Barak Yitzhaki
Personal information
Full name Barak Yitzhaki
ברק יצחקי
Date of birth September 25, 1984 (1984-09-25) (age 27)
Place of birth Ashkelon, Israel
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 8 12 in)
Playing position Second striker, Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current club Maccabi Tel Aviv
Number 9
Youth career
2000–2001 Hapoel Ashkelon
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2003 Hapoel Ashkelon 57 (28)
2003–2008 Beitar Jerusalem 109 (23)
2008 Racing Genk 15 (3)
2008–2010 Beitar Jerusalem 64 (30)
2010- Maccabi Tel Aviv 18 (7)
National team
2003 Israel U19 1 (1)
2004–2007 Israel U21 19 (3)
2007–present Israel 11 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 May 2010.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16 January 2010

Barak Yitzhaki (Hebrew: ברק יצחקי‎, also transliterated Itzhaki or Itzchaki; born September 25, 1984 in Ashkelon) is an Israeli footballer who plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv.He mostly plays a Second striker, but can also play an Attacking midfielder.

Yitzhaki started his professional career with boyhood club, Hapoel Ashkelon. During his first two seasons as a professional, Yitzhaki won the Toto Cup Artzit twice. He was sold to Beitar Jerusalem and saw limited time under manager Eli Ohana.

With the arrival of French manager Luis Fernández in 2005, Yitzhaki received more playing time and was even a first team choice over the club's leading scorer, Lior Asulin. After watching Yitzhaki play, Fernández told the club to sign Yitzhaki to a long term contract.

At the end of the 2005–06 season, Yitzhaki attracted interest from Belgian club Racing Genk. Media reports say that he was offered a 300,000 per annum contract that includes a 20% yearly wage rise for a period no less than three seasons. Beitar is reluctant to see Yitzhaki leave and they have put a price on the striker of no less than US $1,000,000. On June 25, 2006 an official bid was sent for the immediate transfer of Yitzhaki but Beitar chairman Vladimir Sklar rejected the offer of USD $250,000. While Yitzhaki and the club were in training in Arnhem, Holland, a representative of Racing Genk showed up at the hotel with an improved offer of USD $500,000. It initially looked as if Yitzhaki would be sold to the Belgian side [2] but he eventually signed a long term contract with Beitar. In January 2008, Yitzhaki agreed a move to Racing Genk, where he signed a 3.5 year contract.

He scored his first Racing Genk goal in KV Mechelen, it is already named as the goal of the year in Belgium. After this goal he also scored against Moeskroen en Club Brugge.

On July 2008, Yitzhaki returned to Beitar Jerusalem, and became the top scorer of the 2008–09 Israeli Premier League.

Contents

Maccabi Tel Aviv

On June 9 2010 Yitzhaki signed a 5 year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv for transfer fee of $2m paid to Beitar.

Itzhaki made his official debut for Maccabi at the home win against FK Mogren at UEFA Europa League on July 15 2010.

On August 22 2010 Itzhaki suffered a serious injury to his ACL against Maccabi Haifa and wasn't able to play until May 7, 2011[1],when he made his return, replacing Maor Buzaglo in a league match against Maccabi Haifa, the same team he played against when he got injured, 32 fixtures and almost 9 months after that injury.He scored his first league goal for Maccabi by a penalty shot in the 87th minute of the last game of the season against Maccabi Netanya F.C.

Honours

Team

Personal

References

  1. ^ [1]

External links