Doron Leidner

Leidner joined Hapoel Tel Aviv from Maccabi Petah Tikva at age-group level and progressed through Hapoel’s youth teams.[5] He made his senior debut in May 2020 in a 2–1 victory over Maccabi Haifa, and made 11 appearances during that season.[5]

At age 20, Leidner made 26 league appearances for Hapoel Tel Aviv during the 2021/22 season, scoring once and providing four assists.[7] One notable attacking contribution came in a 2–1 home victory over Ashdod SC at Bloomfield Stadium: following a goalless first half, his low, long-range shot skipped past goalkeeper Yoav Gerafi to open the scoring in the 59th minute.[8] Ofek Bitton subsequently doubled Hapoel’s advantage before Ashdod pulled a goal back.[8]

Leidner’s attacking strengths included pace, crossing while moving, dribbling and a powerful long-range shot.[4] Hapoel’s coaching staff also worked with him on his defensive play, using video examples from Juventus and Atlético Madrid.[4] A 2022 assessment credited him with the league’s highest figures in aerial duels.[4]

His performances for Hapoel earned him a place in Israel’s senior squad, and he made three UEFA Nations League appearances under coach Alon Hazan, assisting goals against Iceland and Albania.[7] In the match against Albania in Tirana, Israel trailed 1–0 at halftime before Leidner supplied the ball from the left for Manor Solomon’s 57th-minute equalizer.[2] Solomon scored again about a quarter-hour later, completing a 2–1 comeback victory.[2]

In summer 2022, Leidner moved from Hapoel to Olympiacos on a four-year contract.[4] Reports differed on the transfer fee: one put the payment at €1.5 million plus up to €750,000 in conditional bonuses, while another described it as €2 million.[4][9] His reported salary was approximately €400,000 per season.[4] He chose Olympiacos despite a higher late offer from Beşiktaş, and expressed his ambition on joining: “I want to win titles with this team.”[4]

Leidner did not make a first-team appearance for Olympiacos.[5] In January 2023, he joined Austria Wien on loan for half a season, making 10 appearances, scoring once and providing one assist before the season’s end.[5] He also featured for Israel in the away Euro 2024 qualifier against Switzerland, a 3–0 defeat in which Ruben Vargas scored in the 39th minute and Zeki Amdouni and Silvan Widmer added second-half goals.[10]

While on loan at Austria Wien, Leidner sustained a complex anterior cruciate ligament injury that included additional clinical findings beyond the ligament tear.[3] He underwent surgery in early June 2023.[3] Olympiacos documented the injury, operation and rehabilitation in a project presented at a sports-medicine conference in Madrid in May 2024.[3]

After a lengthy absence, Leidner joined FC Zürich on loan in summer 2024, seeking playing time after a year without football.[3] Zürich’s sporting director and chief scout had been impressed by his earlier performances for Austria Wien.[3] By early September, he had made three league appearances and played 90 minutes in the Swiss Cup.[3] Against Luzern, he entered at halftime, contributed to Zürich’s equalizer and received praise from coach Ricardo Moniz.[3]

Injuries continued to limit his involvement at Zürich, where he had made four appearances by January 2025.[9] His league playing time amounted to 115 minutes, all in September, and he subsequently missed action until appearing for the club’s reserve side in March.[11] Across his three seasons in Europe, he accumulated 15 senior-team appearances and 16 reserve-team appearances.[11] As of January 2025, he had also made eight appearances for Israel’s senior national team; his most recent international appearance was listed as August 2023.[9]

Hapoel Tel Aviv brought Leidner back from Olympiacos on loan for the 2025/26 season, with an option to buy him.[5] On signing, he expressed excitement about returning to the club where he had developed, saying that supporters’ messages and affection were “one of the reasons” for his return.[5] His first two senior-team seasons at Hapoel had yielded one goal and five assists.[5]

During the 2025/26 league campaign, Leidner made 22 appearances and supplied two assists.[1] His 1,382 league minutes represented his highest seasonal total to that point.[6] In 2026, Hapoel exercised its option to buy him back from Olympiacos, and he signed a three-year contract.[1][6]

In August 2026, Leidner played as a Hapoel wing-back in the goalless first leg of a UEFA Conference League playoff against Atalanta; the second leg was scheduled for Miskolc, Hungary.[12] He was also in Hapoel’s starting lineup for a friendly against Hapoel Haifa covered in an October 4 report.[13] Hapoel Haifa won that match 4–3 after establishing a 4–0 lead by the 59th minute, with Hapoel Tel Aviv scoring three times in an attempted comeback.[13]

Sport 5’s 2026/27 statistics listed four starts and three substitute appearances for Leidner, with two substitutions off the field.[1] He had no goals or assists and had received one yellow card.[1]