Pini Balili
 |
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Pinhas Felix Balili פִּנחַס פֱלִיקס בַּלִילִי |
||
| Date of birth | June 18, 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Jerusalem, Israel | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1990–1996 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1996–1997 | Shimshon Tel Aviv | 9 | (1) |
| 1997–2003 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | 115 | (35) |
| 2003–2004 | İstanbulspor | 29 | (13) |
| 2004–2005 | Kayserispor | 28 | (10) |
| 2005–2009 | Sivasspor | 95 | (21) |
| 2009–2010 | Antalyaspor | 15 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | Bnei Yehuda | 62 | (7) |
| 2012–2014 | Maccabi Ironi Bat Yam | 34 | (12) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1997 | Israel U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2000 | Israel U21 | 4 | (1) |
| 2000–2007 | Israel | 29 | (7) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2012–2013 | Maccabi Ironi Bat Yam (caretaker player-manager) | ||
| 2013–2014 | Maccabi Ironi Bat Yam (assistant manager) | ||
| 2014–2015 | Maccabi Holon (women) | ||
| 2015 | F.C. Shikun HaMizrah (general manager) | ||
| 2015–2016 | Agudat Sport Ashdod | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of April 18, 2010 (UTC). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of December 29, 2007 (UTC) |
|||
Pini Balili (Hebrew: פִּינִי בַּלִילִי; born June 18, 1979) is an Israeli-Turkish former footballer who now works as a manager.
As a youngster, Balili grew up supporting Hapoel Tel Aviv and was part of the youth system there before moving to Shimshon Tel Aviv in his teens. It wasn't long before he caught the eye of Hapoel scouts who saw Balili as a missed opportunity so the club purchased his contract after just one professional season. His breakout did not come until the Dror Kashtan era at Hapoel Tel Aviv. Instrumental in the club's success in the UEFA Cup, Balili found himself featuring for the national team as well. After the 2002–03 season, Hapoel decided to cut wages and Pini left for Turkish club Istanbulspor.
Balili's Turkish league debut was sensational; on August 10, 2003, he scored a beautiful chip as his team surprised city rivals Fenerbache 3–0. troubles at Istanbulspor led to Balili being let go after just one season. Though he immediately signed with newly promoted Kayserispor. In 2006, Sivasspor applied for Turkish citizenship for Balili stating that he is a model citizen in Turkey and has full grasp of the Turkish language.
A somewhat religious man, rumors were started that a league match between Sivasspor and Ankaraspor, was postponed during the 2006–07 on account of it coinciding with Yom Kippur. The Turkish Football Federation denied these claims. The story garnered some press coverage, namely because Israeli goalkeeper, Dudu Aouate claimed that he was willing to play on the Jewish day of atonement.
...
Wikipedia