Lior Refaelov

Lior Refaelov

Refaelov with Club Brugge in 2011
Personal information
Full name Lior Refaelov
Date of birth (1986-04-26) 26 April 1986
Place of birth Or Akiva, Israel
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Attacking midfielder / Winger
Club information
Current team
 Club Brugge
Number 8
Youth career
1998–2004 Maccabi Haifa
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2011 Maccabi Haifa 161 (30)
2011– Club Brugge 138 (36)
National team‡
2002–2003 Israel U17 13 (4)
2004 Israel U18 4 (1)
2004 Israel U19 9 (2)
2006–2008 Israel U21 17 (4)
2007– Israel 35 (5)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 May 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 4 november 2014

Lior Refaelov[1] (or Lior Rafaelov, Hebrew: ליאור רפאלוב‎‎; born 26 April 1986) is an Israeli footballer who plays for Belgian Pro League side Club Brugge as an attacking midfielder or winger.

He began his career at Maccabi Haifa, where he won the Israeli Premier League three times. In 2011, he transferred to Brugge for €2.5 million, and scored the winning goal in the Belgian Cup final in 2015.

Refaelov made his senior international debut in 2007, and has since earned over 30 caps for Israel.

Club career

Maccabi Haifa

In 1998, Refaelov began to play in Maccabi Haifa youth teams. In the 2002–03 season he moved up from the under-16 team to the youth team of the club, and scored already in his first against Neve Yossef.

During the 2003–04 season he scored 7 goals in the youth team, lead it to the youth championship and won the best player award. His first goal in the first team he scored at 2004–05 season on a Penalty kick against Hapoel Nazareth Illit, a game which Haifa won 6–0.

In the 2008–09 season, he scored 9 goals and won the championship with Maccabi Haifa.

In the 2010–11 season, He was voted 'player of the year' in the Israeli football.

Club Brugge

Refaelov in the Club Brugge in 2015.

On 20 June 2011, Refaelov signed with Belgian Pro League side Club Brugge for a fee of €2.5 million and 15% from the next sale.[2]

In his first season with the Brugge he scored 7 goals and made 9 assists in all club competition as the club finished as runners-up in the Belgian league. In the next season, Refalov had a great form as he scored 12 goals and made 10 assists. In the 2013–14 season he scored 5 goals and made 14 assists and was one of the most valuable players of the club as they finished third in the league.

On 6 November 2014, he scored a hat-trick as Brugge won 4–0 away to FC Copenhagen to go top of their UEFA Europa League group.[3]

On 22 March 2015, he scored with an added-time volley the winning goal in the Belgian Cup final, as Brugge defeated Anderlecht for their first trophy in eight years.[4] A year later he repeated the feat, scoring in the 2016 Belgian Cup Final, however this time around Club Brugge lost the final 2-1 to Standard Liege.

International career

Refaelov represented Israel in the 2003 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Portugal, scoring three goals.

He made his debut for the national team in an away friendly against Belarus on 22 August 2007, replacing Idan Tal for the last nine minutes of a 1–2 defeat. His next appearance came on 26 May 2010, against Uruguay at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo; he scored the equaliser in a 1–4 defeat.

Honours

Club

Maccabi Haifa
Club Brugge

Individual

References

  1. ↑ Profile page at the Israel Football Association website
  2. ↑ Ben Dor, Doron (21 June 2011). "Lior Refaelov moving to Club Brugge" (in Hebrew). One. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
  3. ↑ Vinde, Nicklas (6 November 2014). "Club Brugge's Refaelov runs rings round FCK". UEFA. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  4. ↑ "Club Brugge win Belgian Cup final thriller". UEFA. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
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