# Omer Atzili

Omer Yosef Atzili Hebrew: עומר יוסף אצילי; born (1993-07-27)27 July 1993) is an Israeli professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for Israeli Premier League club Beitar Jerusalem.
Atzili was a full international from 2016 to 2022, earning six senior caps for his native Israel.

## Early and personal life

Atzili was born and raised in Holon, Israel, to an Israeli family of Ashkenazi Jewish (Romanian-Jewish) descent. His maternal grandfather was born in Bucharest, Romania.
He also holds a Romanian passport, on account of his Ashkenazi Jewish ancestors, which eases the move to certain European football leagues.
He married his Israeli girlfriend Or (née Ben-David) in 2018. They have a son who was born in 2018, and a daughter born in 2020. They currently reside in Israel's capital city of Jerusalem.

## Club career

Atzili started his career at Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv's youth setup in 2002. In 2010, he moved to Israeli side Hapoel Rishon LeZion, spending the last season out of three with them playing for both the youth and senior squads.

### Hapoel Rishon LeZion

Atzili made his senior debut on 30 July 2011, coming on as a 77th minute substitute in a 2–1 home win against Hapoel Be'er Sheva, during the Israel Toto Cup for the Israeli Premier League clubs.
Atzili scored his first senior goal in the Israeli Premier League on 12 May 2012, in a 2–1 home loss against Hapoel Acre; his side also suffered relegation in the end of the season. He subsequently became an important unit for the club in Liga Leumit, scoring six goals as his side missed out promotion in the play-offs; highlights included a brace in a 2–2 draw at Maccabi Petah Tikva on 10 May 2013. Atzili helped his side win the 2012–13 Israel Toto Cup for the Israeli Liga Leumit clubs.

### Beitar Jerusalem

On 30 July 2013, Atzili signed a four-year contract with Israeli Premier League club Beitar Jerusalem. He made his first debut for the club on 24 August 2013, by starting in a 2–0 home loss against Hapoel Be'er Sheva, and was mainly used as a substitute during his first season.
Atzili only became an undisputed starter for Beitar Jerusalem during the 2015–16 season, where he scored a career-best seven goals.
He also captained Beitar Jerusalem.

### Granada

On 31 August 2016, Atzili signed a four-year deal with Spanish La Liga side Granada CF, for a rumoured fee of €750,000. He made his debut in the La Liga on 11 September, starting in a 2–1 home loss against SD Eibar.
Atzili played 11 total league and cup matches, starting five, for the Andalusian club. He did not manage to score, the club was relegated at the end of the 2016–17 season and Atzili left Granada.

### Maccabi Tel Aviv

On 20 June 2017, Atzili signed a four-year deal with Israeli Premier League club Maccabi Tel Aviv.

### APOEL

On 23 August 2020, Atzili signed a two-year contract with the Cypriot First Division club APOEL. In the mid-season transfer window he was released from his contract, leaving on 5 January 2021.

### Maccabi Haifa

On 13 January 2021, Atzili signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Israeli Premier League club Maccabi Haifa.
On 23 August 2022, Atzili assisted his team's last qualifying goal during their 2022–23 UEFA Champions League Play-offs second leg against Serbian side Red Star Belgrade, with a 90th minute free kick that made a rival player score an own goal, earning Maccabi Haifa a 2–2 away draw (5–4 on aggregate), and a place in the UEFA Champions League Group Stage. On 11 October 2022, Atzili scored both his first and second Champions League goals, by netting a brace in a 2–0 home win over Italian side Juventus, to be his club's first victory in the competition since the 2002–03 season. He also received UEFA's Player of the Match award for this game.

### Al Ain

On 14 June 2023, he signed a three-year deal with UAE Pro League club Al Ain, becoming the first Israeli Jew to play in an Arab country. His annual salary is estimated to be around $1.9 million, excluding any victory bonuses. During his presentation, he was introduced as a Romanian player rather than an Israeli. Prior to accepting the transfer, he had specific requests related to his faith, Judaism, allowing him the freedom to abstain from playing or training during various Israeli and Jewish holidays and memorial days. Additionally, a clause in the contract states that he will not participate in away matches outside the Emirates for the AFC Asian Champions League. This provision is in consideration of the potential encounters with clubs from countries that are extremely hostile against Jews and especially against his native Israel, such as Iran, Iraq, Lebanon or Syria, among several other Muslim or Arab countries in the AFC competitions. A great number of Emiratis expressed their opposition to his signing as well.

### Omonia

He went to Omonoia Nicosia for vacations and to avoid taxes on Israel. As soon he avoid taxes holidays finished and he returned back to Israel

### Beitar Jerusalem

Atzili returned to the Israeli Premier League club of his early career Beitar Jerusalem, for which he signed an initial contract on 24 December 2024.

## International career

Atzili represented Israel internationally at youth levels from under-19 to under-21.
Atzili was first called-up to the Israeli senior national team on 31 August 2016, for a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers match against Italy. He then made his senior debut with Israel on 5 September 2016, substituting Nir Bitton in a 1–3 home loss against Italy.
On 10 November 2022, Atzili announced his retirement from the Israel national team.

## Career statistics

    As of match played 7 March 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Granada | 2016–17 | La Liga | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11 | 0 |
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | 2017–18 | Israeli Premier League | 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 2 | – | – | 31 | 12 |
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | 2018–19 | Israeli Premier League | 29 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | – | – | 42 | 13 |
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | 2019–20 | Israeli Premier League | 21 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 8 |
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | Total | Total | 67 | 29 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 99 | 33 |
| Apoel | 2020–21 | Cypriot First Division | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 3 | 2 | – | – | 15 | 3 |
| Maccabi Haifa | 2020–21 | Israeli Premier League | 21 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | 6 |
| Maccabi Haifa | 2021–22 | Israeli Premier League | 33 | 20 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 27 |
| Maccabi Haifa | 2022–23 | Israeli Premier League | 35 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 53 | 27 |
| Maccabi Haifa | Total | Total | 89 | 46 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 24 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 130 | 60 |
| Al Ain | 2023–24 | UAE Pro League | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 20 | 6 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 188 | 78 | 23 | 6 | 13 | 4 | 47 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 273 | 102 |
* ↑ Includes Copa del Rey, Israel State Cup, Cypriot Cup, UAE President's Cup
* ↑ Includes Toto Cup, UAE League Cup
* 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Two appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, ten appearances and four goals in UEFA Europa League
* 1 2 Appearance in Israel Super Cup
* ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
* ↑ Appearances in AFC Champions League

## Honours

Hapoel Rishon LeZion
* Israel Toto Cup (Liga Leumit): 2012–13
Maccabi Tel Aviv
* Israeli Premier League: 2018–19, 2019–20
* Israel Toto Cup (Ligat Ha'Al): 2017–18, 2018–19
Maccabi Haifa
* Israeli Premier League: 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
* Israel Toto Cup (Ligat Ha'Al): 2021–22
* Israel Super Cup: 2021
Al Ain
* AFC Champions League: 2023–24
Individual
* Israeli Footballer of the Year: 2021–22, 2022–23
* Israeli Premier League Top scorer: 2021–22, 2022–23
* Israeli Premier League Top assist provider: 2020–21, 2021–22
* Israeli Premier League Player of the Month: December 2021, March 2023