Refaelov with Club Brugge in 2011
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Lior Refaelov | ||
Date of birth | 26 April 1986 | ||
Place of birth | Or Akiva, Israel | ||
Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in) | ||
Playing position | Attacking midfielder / Winger | ||
Club information | |||
Current team
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Club Brugge | ||
Number | 8 | ||
Youth career | |||
1998–2004 | Maccabi Haifa | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2004–2011 | Maccabi Haifa | 161 | (30) |
2011– | Club Brugge | 160 | (39) |
National team‡ | |||
2002–2003 | Israel U17 | 13 | (4) |
2004 | Israel U18 | 4 | (1) |
2004 | Israel U19 | 9 | (2) |
2006–2008 | Israel U21 | 17 | (4) |
2007– | Israel | 36 | (6) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 April 2017. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 24 March 2017 |
Lior Refaelov (or Lior Rafaelov, Hebrew: ליאור רפאלוב; born 26 April 1986) is an Israeli footballer who plays for Belgian Pro League side Club Brugge as an attacking midfielder or winger.
He began his career at Maccabi Haifa, where he won the Israeli Premier League three times. In 2011, he transferred to Brugge for €2.5 million, and scored the winning goal in the Belgian Cup final in 2015.
Refaelov made his senior international debut in 2007, and has since earned over 30 caps for Israel.
In 1998, Refaelov began to play in Maccabi Haifa youth teams. In the 2002–03 season he moved up from the under-16 team to the youth team of the club, and scored already in his first against Neve Yossef.
During the 2003–04 season he scored 7 goals in the youth team, lead it to the youth championship and won the best player award. His first goal in the first team he scored at 2004–05 season on a penalty kick against Hapoel Nazareth Illit, a game which Haifa won 6–0.
In the 2008–09 season, he scored 9 goals and won the championship with Maccabi Haifa.
In the 2010–11 season, He was voted 'player of the year' in the Israeli football.
On 20 June 2011, Refaelov signed with Belgian Pro League side Club Brugge for a fee of €2.5 million and 15% from the next sale.
In his first season with the Brugge he scored 7 goals and made 9 assists in all club competition as the club finished as runners-up in the Belgian league. In the next season, Refalov had a great form as he scored 12 goals and made 10 assists. In the 2013–14 season he scored 5 goals and made 14 assists and was one of the most valuable players of the club as they finished third in the league.