Sportsאלי אברבנל

Eli Abarbanel

Eli Abarbanel is a retired Israeli footballer who played as a midfielder, mainly for Hapoel Petah Tikva and Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv.

born 1976Midfielder for Hapoel Petah TikvaSeven seasons at Bnei Yehuda2 Israel national team caps

Born: 22 February 1976, Petah Tikva
Occupation: association football player

Eli Abarbanel was born in 1976 in Petah Tikva

Eli Abarbanel was born on 22 February 1976 in Petah Tikva. His parents, Leon and Mary Abarbanel, came from Turkey. He began playing in the youth department of Hapoel Petah Tikva.

He played 13 games for Israel's youth team and 21 for the under-21 team. He joined Hapoel Petah Tikva's senior team near the end of the 1993/1994 season and scored his first goal in a win over Maccabi Tel Aviv. He scored 8 goals in 1996/1997, when the club finished second, and 14 goals in 1999/2000, when it finished third.

In 1998 he was called up to the Israel national team and played 2 games for it. After being sent off in a derby against Maccabi Petah Tikva in 2000/2001, he lost his place, and the club released him at the end of that season.

In 2001/2002 he played for Hapoel Haifa and scored 7 goals, but the team was relegated. He then moved to Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv, where he switched from midfield to defense and played 7 seasons. He returned to Hapoel Petah Tikva in 2009/2010 and retired a few months later because of injury.