Life story of the Israeli midfielder

Israel seemed too small to contain his talent and ambitions, but proved strong enough to keep him there until now. At the age of 14, Eyal Golasa had already attracted the attention of Paris Saint-Germain FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC. The French moved in to sign him, but being a minor he couldn’t qualify for a European Union passport and the deal didn’t go through.

The prodigious player of Beitar Nes Tubruk FC ended up at Maccabi Haifa FC in 2006, but his name wasn’t taken off the lists of talent scouts across Europe. And they were right to keep an eye on him, as he was just 18 years old when he helped Maccabi Haifa FC make it to the UEFA Champions League group stage.

At that time, he was being monitored by Portsmouth FC, FC Bayern München, Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Arsenal FC. Websites specializing on football scouting would present him as the new star of Israeli football and one of the most promising young midfielders in Europe.

“Many tend to compare him with former Israeli football exports, such as Yosi Benayoun and Eyal Berkovic. To be honest, comparisons with the latter seem more accurate”, Sky Sports scouting report reads, adding: “Golasa is strong, has excellent control and won’t relinquish control easily, thus being presented with several goal opportunities per match. His passing is very good and has the ability of prevailing on a football field”.

Those characteristics led SS Lazio to sign him in 2010. Golasa flew to Rome, penned his contract with the Laziali, had his photo taken with the light blue shirt, but the deal was never finalized. A court war broke out instead. On one side, Lazio, who signed the player without the consent of his club. On the other side, Maccabi Haifa FC backed by the football association of Israel…

Maccabi Haifa FC swiftly reported SS Lazio to FIFA and were determined to go all the way to CAS in order to keep Golasa at their ranks. They had a strong case: damage on the image of the club, loss of future profits from an eventual transfer of the player and the precedent that such a move would set for all their young players.

Maccabi Haifa FC based their case on the Israeli law that forbids minors from signing contracts, unless their parents cosign. Golasa had just turned 18, but his contract linking him with Maccabi would expire in 2011. Moreover, he couldn’t leave his country as he hadn’t gone through his military duty yet.

SS Lazio president Claudio Lotito went on record regarding the issue: “We have been following his progress for months, we watched him play in the UEFA Champions League and decided to acquire him. Eyal will soon be a star of the highest level. He represents the midfielder type we are looking for. Good with the ball at his feet, with a sound reading of the game and physically strong”.

However, both Lotito and Golasa were denied of collaboration at SS Lazio, as Maccabi Haifa FC didn’t compromise and the player was bound to stay at Israel. However, the contractual bond with the Israeli club not existing anymore, he took the next step in his career at Toumba until 2017.