Avi Nimni
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aviyahu Nimni | ||
| Date of birth | 26 April 1972 | ||
| Place of birth | Holon, Israel | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder, Second striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1980–1990 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1990–1997 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 207 | (75) |
| 1998 | Atlético Madrid | 7 | (0) |
| 1998–2003 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 116 | (77) |
| 1999–2000 | → Derby County (loan) | 4 | (1) |
| 2003–2005 | Beitar Jerusalem | 50 | (20) |
| 2005–2008 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 32 | (22) |
| Total | 416 | (195) | |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1990–1993 | Israel U-21 | 4 | (2) |
| 1992–2006 | Israel | 80 | (17) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2008–2011 | Maccabi Tel Aviv (general manager) | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 December 2006. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 1 December 2006 |
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Avi Nimni (born 26 April 1972) is a former Israeli football player and Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C.'s highest ever scorer. He is regarded as one of Maccabi Tel Aviv's greatest players ever. Until 2006, he served as the captain of the Israeli national football team. His number 8 shirt has become so symbolic (despite him wearing the number sixteen as a youth, because Uri Malmilian wore the number 8) that the club has retired the number at the end of his active football career.
Nimni was approximately seven years old when he joined Maccabi Tel Aviv's training facility in Kiryat Shalom. Nimni played for every Maccabi youth team and also featured for the Israeli national youth sides.
At 17 he played his first game in the Liga Leumit and was a regular for Maccabi's first team at 18. Whilst at Maccabi Nimni experienced much success becoming one of the most important players in side during this period.
In 1998 he inherited the Maccabi captaincy when the previous longserving captain Nir Klinger retired due to injury. Klinger went on to become assistant coach at Maccabi.
Between the years of 1996–2001, Maccabi suffered dark times on the field winning only the Toto Cup in 1998. This was due partly to the absence of Nimni who was transferred in 1997 to Atlético Madrid. However, Nimni's time at the club was blighted by injury, and he returned to Maccabi after just seven appearances.
A year later Nimni was loaned out to Derby County. Although Nimni set up a goal on his debut and also scored away to Everton, in what subsequently proved to be a handful of appearances, Derby decided not to purchase Nimni outright. They instead signed fellow loanee Georgiou Kinkladze to ensure they had no more than three non-EU first-team players, and Nimni returned to Maccabi.
In 2000, the former Israel national coach, Shlomo Sharf, became Maccabi's coach. Sharf, well known for his temper, commented after the second game of the season in Maccabi's 2–2 draw with Hapoel Haifa saying "did you even see Nimni? I'm sure he didn't play! If it wasn't for the fans I would have substituted him at half-time". The next day Nimni spoke to Channel Five, replying "there is a normal way of saying things, not in a humiliating barbaric way". Sharf wanted to sell Nimni, however the chairman Lonny Herzikowicz declined the request, and Sharf then resigned from his post.
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