Arik Benado

Benado grew up in Maccabi Haifa's youth system, following in the footsteps of his father, Shlomo Benado, who had played for the club's senior team.[1] He broke into the first team at the age of 17 under coach Shlomo Scharf, making his senior debut in a 2–1 win over Hapoel Petah Tikva.[1] He later recalled the physical challenge of that initiation into professional football: "I took a lot of hits; the forwards elbowed me, and I stood strong and didn't react."[1]

Benado established himself in Maccabi Haifa's senior side during the 1993–94 season, in which coach Giora Spiegel led the team to the Israeli league title, though Benado's role that year was as a reserve.[6] He went on to make 399 appearances for the club and became captain at around the age of 23 or 24, a role he held for roughly ten years.[1][2]

A contract dispute preceded one of Benado's moves to Beitar Jerusalem. His uncle initially sought a salary of $80,000; the final agreement — which Benado recalled being written on a napkin — was $70,000. "Wow, I'm going to earn $70,000. I couldn't believe it was really happening," he said of the moment.[1] Benado moved to Beitar in 2006, spent four seasons there, won two league championships and two cups, and returned to Maccabi Haifa in 2010.[6][1]

One of the defining highlights of Benado's playing career came in 2002–03, when he was part of the Maccabi Haifa squad that reached the UEFA Champions League group stage under coach Itzhak Shum — a qualification described as historic. That season, Maccabi Haifa narrowly missed the Israeli league title, losing it to Maccabi Tel Aviv on goal difference.[6]

Despite wanting to remain at Maccabi Haifa after three consecutive league titles, Benado felt that personal promises had not been kept and that he was no longer valued, leading him to leave in 2006.[1] He later returned to finish his career at the club, describing that homecoming as important to him because Maccabi Haifa was "home" and "part of me."[1] In the 2010–11 season — his final campaign — he initially sat at the far end of the substitutes' bench before earning a starting role as the decisive part of the season approached and leading the defense. At the title ceremony, he joined captain Yaniv Katan in lifting the championship plate.[2]

By the time he retired in 2011 after an 18-year career, Benado had made 399 appearances for Maccabi Haifa, won nine league championships — seven with Maccabi Haifa and two with Beitar Jerusalem — and collected multiple cup titles.[6][1][2] A 2017 Ynet feature listed his Israeli top-flight total as 573 appearances and described it as a record.[2]

Benado joined Israel's senior national team at around the age of 21 and made his first appearance in 1995 under coach Shlomo Scharf, who put him straight into the starting lineup for a friendly against Brazil.[3] He remained a regular in the squad for over a decade, playing through six qualifying campaigns between 1995 and 2007 and earning a reputation as a dependable presence in the defensive line.[3]

He made 39 appearances for Israel's under-21 team and 94 for the senior side.[2] The 5–0 win over Austria at Ramat Gan in 1999 stood out as his finest performance. Asked about his best game, Benado said simply: "Austria, 0–5, and that was my best game too."[1] His 94 senior appearances stood as Israel's record until Yossi Benayoun surpassed him; a 2017 tally listed Benayoun with 97 appearances and Benado with 94.[2][3]

Benado's retirement in 2011 came earlier than planned after medical tests found irregularities in his heart and he was advised to stop sporting activity.[6] Maccabi Haifa stated that the club and player had already agreed he would retire after the European campaign, but that the date was brought forward following the test results.[6]

In a later interview, Benado recalled experiencing an irregular heartbeat at training. He said that while the tests did not find a definitive cause, the process required three months and ruled out a quick return to playing. He described the experience as possibly "a sign from God" and expressed satisfaction at having finished his career at his peak rather than at a smaller club.[1]

After retiring, Benado moved immediately into coaching. He served as assistant to Elisha Levy during Maccabi Haifa's 2011–12 campaign before taking charge of the club's youth team at the start of the following season.[7]

When Reuven Atar was dismissed after Maccabi Haifa collected only seven points from its first nine league matches of 2012–13, Benado was placed in interim charge of the senior team. The club appointed him head coach through the end of the season in November 2012, though the announcement was delayed because he had not yet obtained a UEFA Pro license; youth-department manager Shmulik Hanin, who held the required credentials, joined him on the bench.[7] "This is the happiest day of my life," Benado said on his appointment.[7]

His impact at the helm was immediate. By April 2013, Maccabi Haifa had lost just once in 21 league matches under his charge and had won 17 of them.[8] He remained the club's senior head coach until 2014; Globes later summarized his tenure as approximately a year and a half, from 2012 to 2014.[5]

Benado joined Israel's senior national-team staff as assistant to coach Eli Guttman in February 2014.[5] In May 2015, the Israel Football Association's professional committee unanimously recommended his appointment as Israel's under-21 coach, where he was to replace German coach Michael Nees while continuing to assist Guttman with the senior team.[5] At the time, he had approximately a year and a half of senior head-coaching experience.[5]

His subsequent roles included stints as assistant at Bnei Yehuda and Hapoel Ramat Gan, a return to coach Maccabi Haifa's youth team before departing in 2019, and an appointment as assistant coach at Hapoel Be'er Sheva in 2021 alongside Roni Levy, who had previously coached him at Maccabi Haifa.[9] A 2026 report identified Benado as Israel's under-17 national-team coach.[4]

Benado is widely regarded as one of the most decorated and durable Israeli footballers of his era. His nine league championships are more than any other Israeli player has won, while a 2017 Ynet feature described his 573 Israeli top-flight appearances as a record.[1][2] He held Israel's senior international appearance record before Yossi Benayoun surpassed him, and his 39 under-21 appearances added to a career defined by consistent representation at every level.[2][3]

Praised for his heading ability, positional discipline and quiet leadership, Benado captained Maccabi Haifa for roughly a decade and was a fixture in the Israeli national team across six qualifying campaigns.[2][3] His decision to return to Maccabi Haifa to finish his playing days underscored the depth of his connection to the club where both he and his father had built their football careers.[1]

A 2026 Ynet News report described a dispute over youth-team selection. Mursi Badarne stated that he had contacted Benado multiple times — including through Facebook — to propose that his son Yunan be considered for Israel's under-17 squad, and that receiving no response led him to allow his son to represent Palestine instead. Benado disputed this, saying that players are identified through the team's scouting system and that he had not received the messages because he does not use Facebook.[4] The two accounts remain unreconciled.

When Benado was appointed assistant coach at Hapoel Be'er Sheva in 2021, some supporters of the club objected, citing a remark he had made after the club's 2004–05 relegation, in which he said he was glad it had gone down because he would not have to travel there the following season.[9]