After Avi Cohen and Ronny Rosenthal paved the way for Israeli soccer players to play overseas, Haim Revivo took the ball and ran with it.
By JEREMY LASTrevivo 224.88(photo credit: Courtesy)
After Avi Cohen and Ronny Rosenthal paved the way for Israeli soccer players to play overseas, Haim Revivo took the ball and ran with it.
Revivo was a classy striker who grew up in the southern city of Ashdod. He began his career in the Israeli league at Bnei Yehuda, but it was the predatory abilities he displayed while playing at Maccabi Haifa which caught the eye of the scouts at Spanish club Celta Vigo, and in the summer of 1996 he made the dream move abroad.
Revivo was a massive success in Spain, scoring 24 goals in 124 appearances in four years, and turning thousands of Israelis into Celta Vigo fans.
In 2000 the 28-year-old Revivo left Spain for Turkey where he played for three years at Fenerbahce in Istanbul, scoring 16 goals in his first season at the club when it won the Turkish league. His decision in 2003 to move to cross-city rival Galatasaray caused massive controversy and he only lasted a year before returning to Israel.
Revivo was also a key member of the Israel national team, which he played for 67 times from 1992-2004. Since retiring Revivo has became involved in Premier League club Ashdod SC and he is now one of the owners of the team where his younger brother David is the captain.
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