Denny Gropper

Gropper developed in the youth departments of Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Haifa and Ironi Nesher before beginning his senior career.[1]

His family also has football connections. Walla identifies his father as former footballer Uri Gropper, while Walla and a 2022 Sport5 interview identify Roni Rosenthal as his uncle. In the interview, Gropper said he sought advice from Roni Rosenthal, Lior Rosenthal and his father.[3][4]

Gropper made his first-team debut for Hapoel Afula in 2018. He scored five goals in 35 appearances across competitions for the club before moving to Hapoel Tel Aviv.[1]

His time at Hapoel Tel Aviv ended after he declined to extend his contract, saying he wanted to move to Europe and believed he was ready. In a 2022 interview, he recalled being sent to train with the youth team and left out of the first team’s training camp, a change he said was painful. He said his ambition to play for a European club helped him persevere, and explained his reluctance to speak publicly before proving himself: “Talking without having done anything isn’t legitimate.”[3]

Gropper joined Ludogorets in Bulgaria in February 2022. Ynet and Sport5 report that during his three and a half seasons there he made 63 appearances and collected eight domestic titles: three league championships, two cups and three Bulgarian Super Cups. He also appeared in the Europa League and Conference League.[1][2]

He became a regular starter during the 2022/23 season and played against Roma and Real Betis. In early April, he injured his knee in a match against Arda and tore a cruciate ligament, missing nearly a year. He returned in March 2024 as a substitute in a 6–0 win over Lokomotiv Sofia, then spent most of the rest of that season with the reserve team.[2]

Gropper began the 2024/25 season with two assists in Ludogorets’ 5–1 win over Arda. He started 12 of the club’s first 22 league matches, later started Europa League games against Lazio and AZ Alkmaar, and recorded three assists during the season.[2]

Maccabi Tel Aviv announced Gropper’s signing on June 26, 2025, on a three-year contract with an extension option. The announcement described him as a 26-year-old left-back returning to Israel from Ludogorets. Gropper said he was excited to join the club and meet its supporters at Bloomfield.[5]

Gropper also represented Israel. He recalled that his first appearance, in a win over Albania, was the most moving moment of his career. When he received his first national-team call-up, he phoned his father, who was so happy he could not find words to say.[3]

Published totals for Gropper’s Hapoel Tel Aviv appearances and goals differ. Ynet reports four goals in 69 appearances over two and a half seasons, while a 2022 Sport5 interview gives 56 appearances and two goals.[1][3] A 2025 Sport5 report gives 61 appearances and two goals.[5]

Reports published around his 2025 move also give differing totals for his senior Israel appearances. The Ynet signing report and Sport5 give nine appearances.[1][5] A Ynet report from the previous day says ten, while Walla gives eight.[4][6]

Sources also differ on parts of his Ludogorets record. Ynet and Sport5 credit him with eight domestic titles, including three league championships.[1][2] Walla instead says he won four league championships.[4] Sport5 gives 19 league appearances in 2024/25, while Walla gives 18.[2][4]