Rafi Levi (22 February 1938 – 25 February 2021[1]) was an Israeli footballer who played as a striker. He spent most of his career in Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Rafi Levi
Personal information
Date of birth (1938-02-22)22 February 1938
Place of birth Holon, Mandatory Palestine
Date of death 25 February 2021(2021-02-25) (aged 83)
Place of death Israel
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1954–1960 Maccabi Tel Aviv 96 (56)
1960 Highlands Park
1960–1961 Maccabi Tel Aviv 1 (0)
1961–1963 Sydney Hakoah
1964–1965 Highlands Park
1965–1966 Maccabi Tel Aviv 7 (5)
1966–1972 Highlands Park
1973 Hapoel Ra'anana
International career
1958–1960 Israel national team 16 (9)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Football career

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Rafi Levi won the Season Top Scorer award twice. First in the 1957–58 season with 19 goals and the second time around during the 1959–60 season with 15 goals. He also was among the top players leading Maccabi Tel Aviv to two championships and in the 1955–56 and 1957–58 seasons, and two Israeli State Cups (1958 and 1959). Later he played in Australia and South Africa, and retired from football in 1972.[1]

Levi made 17 appearances in Israel national team. One of the best games was the victory over the Yugoslavia in the 1960 Summer Olympics qualification. In the game Levi scored two goals and was considered one of the heroes (along with the Israeli goalkeeper Ya'akov Hodorov). This victory, one of the most surprising in the history of Israeli football, caused a great wave of elation among Israeli sports fans.[1]

Honours

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Rafi Levi, Nostalgia Online