David "Dedi" Ben Dayan is an
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
i football (soccer) defender, who currently plays for Hapoel Tel Aviv in
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
. He is known for his good tackling, and also speed and his ability to join the attack.
Ben Dayan started his career at
Maccabi Tel-AvivMaccabi Tel Aviv Football Club is an Israeli association football club, part of the Maccabi Tel Aviv sports club. It is one of the oldest clubs in Israeli football, and is the most decorated club in Israeli football history with 20 championships, 22 national cups, 2 Asian Champions Cups and 3 Toto...
, where he saw limited action over the span of 5 seasons. After a break out 2000-01 season, Ben Dayan was called up to the
Israel national football teamThe Israeli National Football Team is the national football team of Israel and is controlled by the Israel Football Association .The Israel Football Association was founded under the name Palestine Football Association in 1928, 20 years before the establishment of the state of Israel at the end...
by then manager,
Richard Møller NielsenRichard Møller Nielsen , nick-named Ricardo, is a Danish former football player and football manager. His greatest triumph came when he coached the Danish national football team which surprisingly won the 1992 European Championship tournament. In 1995, he was knighted as Knight 1st Degree of the...
, for a friendly against
HungaryThe Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation. It has a rich and proud pedigree in the game and a rightful place in football annals as one of the first original footballing nations in continental Europe and an...
.
David "Dedi" Ben Dayan is an
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
i football (soccer) defender, who currently plays for Hapoel Tel Aviv in
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
. He is known for his good tackling, and also speed and his ability to join the attack.
Playing career
Ben Dayan started his career at
Maccabi Tel-AvivMaccabi Tel Aviv Football Club is an Israeli association football club, part of the Maccabi Tel Aviv sports club. It is one of the oldest clubs in Israeli football, and is the most decorated club in Israeli football history with 20 championships, 22 national cups, 2 Asian Champions Cups and 3 Toto...
, where he saw limited action over the span of 5 seasons. After a break out 2000-01 season, Ben Dayan was called up to the
Israel national football teamThe Israeli National Football Team is the national football team of Israel and is controlled by the Israel Football Association .The Israel Football Association was founded under the name Palestine Football Association in 1928, 20 years before the establishment of the state of Israel at the end...
by then manager,
Richard Møller NielsenRichard Møller Nielsen , nick-named Ricardo, is a Danish former football player and football manager. His greatest triumph came when he coached the Danish national football team which surprisingly won the 1992 European Championship tournament. In 1995, he was knighted as Knight 1st Degree of the...
, for a friendly against
HungaryThe Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation. It has a rich and proud pedigree in the game and a rightful place in football annals as one of the first original footballing nations in continental Europe and an...
. His most successful club season though was in 2001-02 when he started and helped the club win the Israel State Cup having not played a single fixture in the clubs previous cup title.
In 2002 Dedi was transferred to Hapoel Petah Tikva where he would start each match but was unimpressive, usually being the first player substituted. He moved on to
Hapoel Kfar SabaHapoel Kfar Saba F.C. are an Israeli football club based in Kfar Saba. They are currently in Liga Leumit and play at the Levita Stadium.-History:...
but after the club was relegated and Dedi was left in 2003 looking for a new club in a little less than a year.
Dedi Ben Dayan would head south to Be'er Sheva to join Hapoel for the 2003-04 season. There he would revive his career playing under
Eli GuttmanEli Guttman is an Israeli football manager.He coached Hapoel Haifa during the 1998-99 season, in which the club won their first Liga Leumit title....
. This even led to him getting a second chance to play on the national team, but he only featured in two friendlies against
AzerbaijanThe Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...
and
MoldovaThe Moldova national football team is the national football team of Moldova under the auspice of the Football Association of Moldova. After the break-up of the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Georgia on July 2, 1991....
.
Move to the United States
After two seasons in Be'er Sheva, Ben Dayan became the second
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
i ever to play in the United States' top football league,
Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by United States Soccer Federation . The league comprises 15 teams, 14 in the U.S. and one in Canada...
, when he signed a one year contract with
Colorado RapidsThe Colorado Rapids are a professional American soccer club based in the Denver suburb of that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was founded in 1995. The team colors are burgundy, sky blue, and gray. They played their home matches at Mile High Stadium from 1996–2001 and moved...
(the other was
Guy MelamedGuy Melamed is an Israeli soccer defender.Melamed came to the United States to play college soccer at Boston College, and was a four-year starter for the Eagles. He was named All-Big East his last three years in school...
who was released on a free transfer shortly after Ben Dayan's arrival). When his first season ended, Dedi had proven his worth to Colorado manager,
Fernando ClavijoFernando Clavijo is a retired American soccer defender and former head coach of the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. He played three seasons in the American Soccer League, two in the North American Soccer League and ten in the Major Indoor Soccer League...
, and was signed to a three year contract estimated at $120,000 per annum.During his time there, when Dedi would score a goal for Colorado at INVESCO Field, he would generally run to his family in Colorado who would throw him the Israeli flag.
Return to Israel
Dedi returned to Israel to play for Maccabi Netanya in August 2006. He stated that he asked to return due to the
Second Lebanon WarThe 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War , was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon and northern Israel. The principal parties were Hezbollah paramilitary forces and the Israeli military...
and wanted to be closer to his family. In an interview with a sport website, Ben Dayan stated that he didn't improve at all during his time in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and it was time to go back to
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
. The website in turn stated that his time there was a waste.
Personal life
Ben Dayan is
JewThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
ish. While playing for the Colorado Rapids, Ben Dayan was dismayed that he had to miss a league match due to its falling out on
Yom KippurYom Kippur , also known as the Day of Forgiveness, is the holiest day of the year for religious Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services...
.
After seven years of dating, Ben Dayan married Dana Farkash at the Royal Garden Hotel in Eilat, Israel in a Jewish ceremony. Among the guests were numerous Israeli celebrities and professional footballers.
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