The true uniqueness of the upcoming season of the UEFA Champions League is the number of Israeli players. Never before have we witnessed a scenario in which four Israelis have played for four different teams in the group stage in the same season, as well as a coach.
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These are the Israeli players whose talents will be on display this season:
Omri Glazer
Barak Bakhar, the new coach of Serbia's regaining champions Red Star Belgrade, made a power move and released beloved local legend and Canadian national team goalkeeper Milan Borjan. It was a move aimed at asserting his authority and signaling that changes are underway; the Israeli coach had a specific replacement in mind – Omri Glazer, who also played under his wing in his previous team, Maccabi Haifa F.C.
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Omri Glazer is goalkeeper for Serbian club Red Star Belgrade
(Photo: Red Star Belgrade Twitter)
In the local media and among the fans, Glazer's soccer skills and self-confidence are highly regarded, and naturally they will be evaluated quite differently once the European matches commence. Many aspects are expected to change, with a significantly greater emphasis on defense and the importance of Glazer's stability within the game, from match to match.
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Israeli Barak Bakhar is the coach of Serbian club Red Star Belgrade
(Photo: Dragan Tešić/Nikola Mitić/Crvena zvezda)
Oscar Gloukh
Oscar Gloukh is poised to be the Israeli player with the highest expectations in this season's Champions League. What is anticipated is a dynamic fusion of the hopes of Red Bull Salzburg - as Gloukh has concluded his period of adapting to the team and is set to become a significant player after undergoing his first summer preparation with them, and the sentiment of the local audience that sees Gloukh as something of a savior, bundled with the likes of Israeli legends Eyal Berkovich and Yossi Benayoun. It remains uncertain whether he can immediately fulfill everyone's aspirations. Gloukh possesses a rare talent on a scale that was not seen in Israel before, yet he is also a 19-year-old who has yet to experience European soccer at the highest level.
In addition, the fact that Salzburg switched coaches at the last moment – Gerhard Struber was appointed a week ago to replace Matthias Jaissle, who surprisingly moved to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia – is not ideal in the short term, given that Gloukh had already managed to impress the previous coach and is now starting anew as a young player who needs to prove himself. The sense is that he will have to step up to another level swiftly.
Liel Abada
While Gloukh finds himself in an uncomfortable position with a new coach, Liel Abda is pleased to see the change at the Scottish Champions team Celtic. Reports surfaced of a rift between him and manager Ange Postecoglou, with the Portuguese Diogo Jota regularly taking precedence over the Israeli. The assumption was that conditions were ripe for Abada's transfer to the English Premier League, with Southampton being a hot name. But during the summer Postecoglou moved to Tottenham Hotspur (replaced by Brendan Rodgers), Jota was sold for a highly valued fee of 30 million euros to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia (who are already seeking to offload him), and Southampton is preparing for the second division (with limited funds at their disposal).
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Liel Abada will stay with Scottish Champions team Celtic
(Photo: Reuters/Russell Cheyne)
In the opening match in Scotland, Abada looked promising during his 79 minutes on the field, delivering an assist before exiting due to a minor injury. He is more experienced and proven compared to other options on the right flank, and if he manages to stay healthy over time, there's no reason why this wouldn't be an excellent season for him.
However, there's also the matter of Celtic in the Champions League. When they reach the group stage – not always a guarantee, as they have to navigate qualifiers – they often concede several goals and don't score as much. Abada has a very good chance of being a starting player there, but it won't be particularly easy, especially when the whistle blows.
Stav Lemkin
The situation of Stav Lemkin, who signed this summer with Ukrainian Shakhtar Donetsk, is not something we are accustomed to in Israeli soccer: two successful national team youth tournaments in a single summer, where a center-back emerges as our standout player; a defender who at the age of 20 joins a prestigious club in the Champions League; a tremendous hope for the national team from someone who isn't an attacking midfielder or winger. What do we do with this?
Lemkin was exceptional this summer, but it's crucial to remember that, in the previous season when he played regularly for Hapoel Tel Aviv, he fell short of impressing. He is in an extremely cautious situation, as he needs consistent performance over time in the senior team.