Yoav Ziv

Yoav Ziv
	Ziv with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Yoav David Ziv
Date of birth	16 March 1981 (age 43)
Place of birth	Hadera, Israel
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
	F.C. Givat Olga
	Maccabi Hadera
1998–2001	Maccabi Haifa
Senior career*
Years	Team
2000–2001	Maccabi Haifa
2002–2003	Hapoel Haifa
2003–2005	Hapoel Nazareth Illit
2005–2009	Beitar Jerusalem
2009–2010	Lokeren
2010–2016	Maccabi Tel Aviv
2016–2017	Hapoel Petah Tikva
International career‡
2002	Israel U21
2006–2012	Israel
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 October 2016; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 July 2013

Yoav David Ziv (Hebrew: יואב זיו; born 16 March 1981) is a retired Israeli footballer. He is currently the first team manager in Maccabi Tel Aviv. As a player he could perform on either flank of the formation, usually attacking from defence as he is adept with both feet, although he favoured the right.

Early life

Ziv was born in Hadera, Israel, to a Jewish family.^[1]

Club career

He started playing for Maccabi Haifa in the youth level, he was part of the team that won the 1998–99 season of the Israeli Noar Premier League.^[2] He later played with Hapoel Haifa and Hapoel Nazareth Illit with which he achieved promotion from the Liga Leumit to the Israeli Premier League.

In 2006, he moved to Beitar Jerusalem and established himself as a fan favourite, being able to play in both wings or both fullback positions, and even as a central defender. This came as a surprise since Ziv played as a striker in Nazareth.

Before the 2006/2007 seasons there were rumors that Ossie Ardiles might let Ziv go or that Ziv's role will diminish. Under Manager Yossi Mizrahi though, Yoav Ziv regained his status and became a more regular player in the starting lineup playing as the right wingback.

On 28 January 2009, Ziv was signed by Belgian club KSC Lokeren for a €75,000 transfer fee on a two-and-a-half-year contract from Beitar Jerusalem.^[3]

In April 2010 Maccabi Tel Aviv announced that Ziv signed^[4] a three-year contract with the club . On 15 July Ziv made his official debut with the Maccabi at UEFA Europa League against FK Mogren and scored his first goal^[5] for Maccabi Tel Aviv. During the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League match against Stoke City, he kicked his loose boot at the assistant referee and was sent off.

In October 2016 signed to Liga Leumit club Hapoel Petah Tikva.

In July 2017, Ziv retired from football and was made the first team manager in Maccabi Tel Aviv.

International career

Ziv played a single match for the Israel national under-21 football team. On 15 August 2006, Ziv made his debut for the Israel national football team in a friendly against Slovenia in a game that finished 1–1.