Maor Melikson
Encyclopedia
Maor Melikson is an Israel
i-Polish
footballer who plays as a midfielder
for Wisła Kraków.
. During the 2001–02 season, he made his senior debut in Liga Alef
in a match against Ironi Ramat HaSharon
. At the end of that season Maccabi Yavne were relegated to Liga Bet
, and Melikson moved to Beitar Jerusalem. At the end of 2005–06 season after not reaching a financial settlement with Beitar, Melikson decided to join Ligat ha'Al champions, Maccabi Haifa
on a three-year contract. During the 2007–08 season, Maccabi Haifa sold Melikson to Hapoel Kfar Saba. After just six months which included a relegation to Liga Leumit
, he signed in June 2008 a five-year contract with Hapoel Be'er Sheva, and later was appointed as the team captain.
On 31 January 2011, Melikson joined Polish Ekstraklasa side Wisła Kraków on a four-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee from Hapoel Be'er Sheva. He won the Ekstraklasa championship in his debut season
. He was also named the Ekstraklasa Revelation of the Season, even though he only played for one half of the season.
for several years, and helped the team qualify for the 2007 UEFA Under-21 Championship
, but missed out on the final tournament due to injury.
He made his debut for the Israeli senior national team
in a friendly match against Uruguay
on 26 May 2010. On 10 August 2011, in his second appearance for the national side Melikson scored two goals for Israel in the 3–4 loss against Côte d'Ivoire
.
On 20 September 2011, the Polish Football Association
chairman Grzegorz Lato
revealed that Melikson in a conversation with him expressed his desire to play for the Poland national football team
. Melikson is eligible to play for Poland based on a FIFA
ruling allowing players to switch their national teams if the player had not yet played in an official FIFA match with the senior team despite having played at the youth level. The next day, Israel Football Association
issued a statement that Melikson is a member of Israel national football team
and he is called for the upcoming match against Malta
in the last fixture of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
phase. Melikson, however, refrained from making any comment for the Polish media, but Wisła Kraków manager Robert Maaskant
confirmed his intentions to switch to Poland national team. Later Melikson said to Israeli media that he chose to play for Poland, but subsequently on 22 September declared that he has decided not to play for either national side for the time being.
, Israel
, to a Jewish family. His mother was born in Legnica
, Poland
, and made Aliyah
to Israel
as a child. Melikson holds both Israel
i and Polish
citizenship.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i-Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
footballer who plays as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Wisła Kraków.
Club career
Melikson started in the youth department of Maccabi YavneMaccabi Yavne F.C.
Maccabi Yavne is an Israeli football club based in Yavne. They currently play in the South Division of Liga Alef.-History:The club was promoted to Liga Leumit for the first time in 1982. In 1985 they won the Toto Cup, beating Beitar Jerusalem 2-1 in the final...
. During the 2001–02 season, he made his senior debut in Liga Alef
Liga Alef
-History:League football began in Israel in 1949–50, a year after independence. However, the financial and security crises gripping the young nation caused the 1950–51 season to be abandoned before it had started. When football resumed in 1951–52, the new top division went by the name of Liga Alef...
in a match against Ironi Ramat HaSharon
Ironi Nir Ramat HaSharon F.C.
Hapoel Ironi Nir Ramat HaSharon Football Club is an Israeli football based in Ramat HaSharon. They are currently plays in Israeli Premier League at the Winter Stadium, Ramat Gan.-History:...
. At the end of that season Maccabi Yavne were relegated to Liga Bet
Liga Bet
-History:League football started in Israel in 1949–50, a year after independence. However, the financial and security crises gripping the young nation caused the 1950–51 season to be abandoned before it had started. When football resumed in 1951–52, the new top division went by the name of Liga...
, and Melikson moved to Beitar Jerusalem. At the end of 2005–06 season after not reaching a financial settlement with Beitar, Melikson decided to join Ligat ha'Al champions, Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa F.C.
Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups...
on a three-year contract. During the 2007–08 season, Maccabi Haifa sold Melikson to Hapoel Kfar Saba. After just six months which included a relegation to Liga Leumit
Liga Leumit
Liga Leumit is the second tier in the Israeli football league system below the Premier League.-Structure:There are 16 clubs in the league. At the end of each season, the lowest-placed team are relegated to Liga Alef while the highest-placed team from Liga Alef are promoted in their place...
, he signed in June 2008 a five-year contract with Hapoel Be'er Sheva, and later was appointed as the team captain.
On 31 January 2011, Melikson joined Polish Ekstraklasa side Wisła Kraków on a four-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee from Hapoel Be'er Sheva. He won the Ekstraklasa championship in his debut season
2010–11 Ekstraklasa
The 2010–11 Ekstraklasa was the 77th season of the highest level of football leagues in Poland since its establishment in 1927. It began on 6 August 2010 and concluded on 29 May 2011. A total of 16 teams participated, 14 of which competed in the league during the 2009–10 season, while the remaining...
. He was also named the Ekstraklasa Revelation of the Season, even though he only played for one half of the season.
International career
Melikson played in Israel national under-21 football teamIsrael national under-21 football team
Israel's national Under-21 team , also known as Israel Under-21s or Israel U-21s, is considered to be the feeder team for the Israel national football team...
for several years, and helped the team qualify for the 2007 UEFA Under-21 Championship
2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship....
, but missed out on the final tournament due to injury.
He made his debut for the Israeli senior national team
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
in a friendly match against Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
on 26 May 2010. On 10 August 2011, in his second appearance for the national side Melikson scored two goals for Israel in the 3–4 loss against Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
.
On 20 September 2011, the Polish Football Association
Polish Football Association
The Polish Football Association is the governing body of football in Poland. It organizes the Polish football leagues , the Polish Cup, the Polish SuperCup, the Polish League Cup, and the Polish national football team...
chairman Grzegorz Lato
Grzegorz Lato
Grzegorz Bolesław Lato is a former Polish football striker, and the leading scorer at the 1974 World Cup. Lato's playing career coincided with the golden era of Polish football, which began with Olympic gold in Munich in 1972 and ended a decade later with third place at the 1982 World Cup in...
revealed that Melikson in a conversation with him expressed his desire to play for the Poland national football team
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
. Melikson is eligible to play for Poland based on a FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
ruling allowing players to switch their national teams if the player had not yet played in an official FIFA match with the senior team despite having played at the youth level. The next day, Israel Football Association
Israel Football Association
The Israel Football Association , also known as IFA, is the governing body of football in Israel. It organizes the football leagues, Israeli Premier League, Israeli State Cup, Toto Cup and the Israeli national football team. The association is based in Ramat Gan...
issued a statement that Melikson is a member of Israel national football team
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
and he is called for the upcoming match against Malta
Malta national football team
The Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...
in the last fixture of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...
phase. Melikson, however, refrained from making any comment for the Polish media, but Wisła Kraków manager Robert Maaskant
Robert Maaskant
Robert Patrick Maaskant is a retired Dutch football midfielder and current manager.-Career:He played for Go Ahead Eagles , FC Emmen , Motherwell F.C...
confirmed his intentions to switch to Poland national team. Later Melikson said to Israeli media that he chose to play for Poland, but subsequently on 22 September declared that he has decided not to play for either national side for the time being.
International Goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 10 August 2011 | Geneva Geneva Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland... , Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
|
Friendly | ||
| 2. |
Personal life
Melikson was born in YavneYavne
Yavne is a city in the Central District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a population of 33,000.-History:...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, to a Jewish family. His mother was born in Legnica
Legnica
Legnica is a town in south-western Poland, in Silesia, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the plain of Legnica, riverside: Kaczawa and Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship. It is currently the seat of the county...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and made Aliyah
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
as a child. Melikson holds both Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i and Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
citizenship.
Statistics
- (correct as of 22 September 2011)
| Club | Season | League | Domestic League | Domestic Cups | European Cups | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||||||||
| Beitar Jerusalem | 2002–03 | Ligat ha'Al | 27 | 3 | 5 | 0 | – | 32 | 3 | |||||||
| 2003–04 | 26 | 2 | 7 | 0 | – | 33 | 2 | |||||||||
| 2004–05 | 29 | 1 | 7 | 1 | – | 36 | 2 | |||||||||
| 2005–06 | 29 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 3 | ||||||||
| Total | 111 | 8 | 26 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 140 | 10 | ||||||||
| Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Haifa F.C. Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups... |
2006–07 | Ligat ha'Al | 18 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 33 | 1 | ||||||
| 2007–08 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | ||||||||
| Total | 24 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 48 | 2 | ||||||||
| Hapoel Kfar Saba | 2007–08 | Ligat ha'Al | 15 | 0 | 3 | 2 | – | 18 | 2 | |||||||
| Hapoel Be'er Sheva | 2008–09 | Liga Leumit Liga Leumit Liga Leumit is the second tier in the Israeli football league system below the Premier League.-Structure:There are 16 clubs in the league. At the end of each season, the lowest-placed team are relegated to Liga Alef while the highest-placed team from Liga Alef are promoted in their place... |
28 | 5 | 11 | 3 | – | 39 | 8 | |||||||
| 2009–10 | Ligat ha'Al | 30 | 9 | 6 | 4 | – | 36 | 13 | ||||||||
| 2010–11 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 0 | – | 23 | 4 | |||||||||
| Total | 77 | 18 | 21 | 7 | Wisła Kraków | 2010–11 | Ekstraklasa | 15 | 4 | 2 | 0 | – | 17 | 4 | ||
| 2011–12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 3 | ||||||||
| Total | 20 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 29 | 7 | ||||||||
| Career Total | 247 | 31 | 67 | 12 | 19 | 3 | 323 | 46 | ||||||||
External links
- Stats at IFA