The vice-captain of the Israel national soccer team inked a three-year contract on Sunday with Russian soccer club FC Dynamo Moscow.
According to sources, Eli Dasa will earn NIS 15 million ($4.4 million) in three years in the Moscow-based club, excluding bonuses that may reach $4.9 million, making him the highest earning Israeli soccer player.
In recent days, the contract details between the 29-year-old Israeli and the Russian Premier League club were finally completed, and the payment has also apparently been settled despite sanctions imposed by the West - which bans Russian banks from transferring funds abroad.
The current sanctions prevent foreign workers in Russia to use the money earned there outside the country. This means even if Dynamo Moscow might have to resort to aid of a third party in order to transfer payment to the Israeli national.
However, such a move is illegal according to Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and may entangle Dasa in legal affairs in the future.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Yair Lapid
(Photo: AP, Mark Israel Salem)
In addition, the move to the Russian capital may expose Dasa to other more significant dangers.
Some experts interpreted Russia's move to oust Jewish Agency is an act of revenge by the Kremlin toward Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who has taken a tougher rhetorical line over the Ukraine conflict than his predecessor.
Thus, the stained relations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lapid may worsen if the premier agitates the Kremlin further with potential remarks or actions in the future.
If this happens, Dasa may find himself as yet another victim of Moscow's diplomatic retaliation, similarly to American Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) star Brittney Griner - currently imprisoned in Russia over cannabis oil possession charges.
On top of that, the Russian Premier League is said to be one of the most racially intolerant leagues in the world. And for Dasa, a Jewish player of Ethiopian descent, this could be problematic, since fans aren't being punished for racial outburst during games or on social media.
Dasa spent the last three seasons of his career at the Dutch SBV Vitesse club. In his last season with the club, he had one goal and 13 assists to his name in 46 games.
The Russian league is currently in its seventh fixture, with Dinamo Moscow falling only four points behind reigning champions FC Zenit Saint Petersburg.
The club's budget is the third largest in the league, after Zenit and FC Lokomotiv Moscow. If everything goes as planned, Dasa is expected to be part of the squad roster for the game against eight-times Russian champions Zenit this Saturday.