Eran Zahavi is back in Yellow & Blue as the Israeli superstar returns to Maccabi Tel Aviv on a 2-year contract to the delight of the fans. The Israeli marksman has played abroad since the 2016/17 season when he departed Maccabi for China and most recently plied his trade in Holland before inking a deal to begin him back home.

During his time away from the Holy Land, the 34-year old scored 113 goals in 156 appearances for Guangzhou R&F and PSV Eindhoven as he will look to thrill the supporters once again at Bloomfield Stadium where he featured and scored 98 goals in 119 matches for Maccabi between 2013-2016 after returning from a season and a half stint in Italy with Palermo.

“I am excited to be able to rejoin Maccabi Tel Aviv and am grateful to Mitch Goldhar, Jack Angelides and Barak Itzhaki for making it happen,” Zahavi said upon signing the contract. “I would also like to thank Maccabi’s fans who I could not let down as my heart didn’t allow me make any other choice. I have the option to repay you all for the love you have shown me all along the way. As I have always done throughout my career I set myself ambitious targets and I know that these are aligned with those set by the Club. Striving for excellence and pushing for both personal and team’s achievements is something I intend to do while giving everything to help my teammates and everyone connected with the Club achieve the targets and success we all desire.”

Owner Mitch Goldhar stated, “I am pleased to welcome Eran back to Maccabi. His achievements speak for themselves. Eran’s competitive drive are aligned with the club’s hunger to succeed. We have a lot of work to do to achieve our goals, the addition of Eran is another step toward our preparations for next season.”

Barak Itzhaki, Head of Maccabi’s Football Department, added, “During his time at Maccabi, Eran not only achieved professional success but also led by example in his approach to physical and mental conditioning, training and match play. We are delighted Eran is returning to Maccabi and believe that together we can achieve our goals this season.”

Zahavi began his career in Hapoel Tel Aviv’s youth department and played for the Reds between 2006-2011 while spending one season on loan with Hapoel Ramat Hasharon. During his time with Hapoel, Zahavi was able to begin to set the stage for his extraordinary career as he scored the dramatic 2009/10 championship goal in the 92nd minute against Beitar Jerusalem at Teddy Stadium to just slip by Maccabi Haifa on the final matchday of the campaign. That same season saw him also hoist the Israel State Cup as he then went on to lead the league in assists the following year and also helped the club advance to the UEFA Champions League group stages.

Next it was off to Palermo for the budding star but after only 23 appearances and just two goals, Maccabi Tel Aviv sports director Jordi Cruyff came calling and lured the sensation back to Israel but this time wearing the yellow-and-blue in January of 2013.

Zahavi made an immediate impact as he spurred the club to three straight Israel league championship, an unprecedented Treble in 2015 by adding the State Cup and Toto Cup to his trophy case while also playing in the Champions League group stages in 2016. Throughout his 3.5 years with Maccabi, Zahavi provided unforgettable moments and excitement as he scored oodles of goals and was always there for his team when it counted most.

The Rishon Le’Zion native led the league in scoring for three straight season between 2014-2016 and captured the Israel Player of Season Award in 2014/15 and 2015/16 to cement his spot atop the list of all-time greats.

Whether it was defeating Hapoel in the Derby on his late goals under head coach Paulo Sousa, scoring a brace in Plzen during Champions League qualifying or heading home a miraculous strike that sent Maccabi into the group stages, Zahavi could always be counted on.

After his successful time with Maccabi, China was the superstars next stop where he ripped up the league and scored at will while winning the 2017 Player of the Season award to go along with two goal scoring titles in 2017 and 2019 as he became a star in the Far East for countless amounts of new found fans.

After his run in China, it was back to Europe for two seasons at Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven where also left his mark before finally making a dramatic decision to come home, leaving a number of offers from Brazil, the United States, Greece, Spain, Germany and Turkey on the table.

Along with starring in club football, Zahavi was also an integral part of the Israel National Team where he has scored 33 goals in 70 appearances and will continue being an integral piece of the puzzle for the blue-and-white.