Hanan Maman

Hanan Maman was born on 28 August 1989 and grew up in a footballing family as the son of Baruch Maman, a former star at Maccabi Haifa.[1] He joined Hapoel Haifa's youth setup at the age of eight and became the team's leading scorer in the youth ranks.[2]

In 2008, Maman was playing simultaneously for both Hapoel Haifa's youth and senior teams, scoring seven goals across the two frameworks in that year alone.[2] That dual involvement marked the start of what would become a four-season stint with the senior side before he moved on to broaden his career experience.

After his initial four seasons with Hapoel Haifa, Maman moved to Hapoel Tel Aviv and then to Belgian club Beveren before returning to Israel to sign with Beitar Jerusalem.[1] He spent the 2014–15 season with Beitar Jerusalem, making 35 league appearances and scoring five goals.[3]

In January 2018, Maman transferred from Hapoel Haifa to Hapoel Beersheba on a four-and-a-half-year contract, with Beersheba paying Hapoel Haifa compensation of $100,000 and Maman reportedly earning $300,000 per season.[4] At the time of the transfer he had contributed four league goals and five assists across 14 league appearances for Haifa, and had served as the club's captain.[4] The departure drew boos and insults from some Hapoel Haifa supporters.[2]

The 2017–18 season, which he finished with Beersheba, proved to be the peak of his career.[5] He scored the opening goal in a 1–1 Premier League draw with Beitar Jerusalem at Turner Stadium — his fourth goal in three matches for his new club — netting in the 31st minute from close range.[6] Across the campaign, split between Hapoel Haifa and Hapoel Beersheba, Ynet credited Maman with 13 goals and eight assists, while a separate league review recorded 31 appearances, 12 goals, and seven assists. The two sources do not use identical totals, so the figures should not be treated as directly equivalent.[2][7] He helped Beersheba win the title, the club's third consecutive championship, and was named Footballer of the Season by the Israeli league administration.[2]

Maman made his only senior international appearance for Israel in a friendly against Romania on 24 March 2018, playing 10 minutes as a substitute during a 2–1 home defeat.[8]

In February 2020, he signed with Beitar Jerusalem for one and a half seasons, arriving from Hapoel Beersheba.[3] By that point he had accumulated 287 career appearances and 41 league goals.[3] In November 2020, he returned to Hapoel Haifa for a third spell, signing a two-year contract and taking the number 10 shirt.[9] The club noted that he had played seven seasons for Hapoel Haifa in total and ranked 25th on its all-time scoring list with 21 goals.[9]

Back at Haifa, Maman delivered one of the memorable individual performances of his final years: in January 2021, at Teddy Stadium, he scored both of his team's goals in the final 15 minutes to haul Hapoel Haifa back from a 3–1 deficit to a 3–3 draw against Beitar Jerusalem.[10] He pulled the score to 3–2 in the 77th minute and then struck again in the 82nd minute with a long-range shot that went in off the far post.[10] Afterwards, Maman said he was happy to score but could not celebrate fully because Hapoel Haifa had not won, adding that the team had played courageously and earned a point.[10]

In January 2019, while at Beersheba, he had also scored twice against Maccabi Petah Tikva — once before halftime and once from the penalty spot in the 66th minute — helping Beersheba reach 28 league points.[11] Earlier, in September 2017, still at Hapoel Haifa, he had scored a 30-metre free kick in the 62nd minute against Hapoel Beersheba to secure a 1–1 draw, a result that extended Haifa's unbeaten start to the season and temporarily placed the club top of the standings.[12]

Maman announced his retirement from professional football in May 2023 at the age of 33.[13] He cited worsening thigh damage and an abdominal injury that had severely disrupted his physical condition.[13] In a later interview, he explained that he had undergone surgery and attempted to return, but found that the demands of competitive matches were far greater than those of training.[5]

His final career appearance came in Hapoel Haifa's home match against Sektzia Nes Ziona on 6 May 2023, which had been billed in advance as his expected 378th Israeli Premier League appearance.[14] Hapoel Haifa lost 1–0, with Almog Buzgalo scoring the winner in the 85th minute and Maman being substituted during the game.[15] He described the moment of his substitution with characteristic candour: "When I was subbed off I broke down."[15] He thanked his family for accompanying him throughout his career and said it was "time to let my body rest."[15]

Maman identified coach Nitzan Shirazi as a pivotal figure in his development, saying that Shirazi and Shlomi Dora made him a central project at Hapoel Haifa and entrusted him with responsibility.[5] He said Shirazi's belief in him changed the course of his career and that Shirazi's death had been extremely difficult for him.[5]

He singled out the 2017–18 season at Hapoel Beersheba as the height of his career, describing it as the period when he felt physically mature and mentally ready, won his first and only championship medal, and received the league's Player of the Season award.[5] He had entered that season specifically motivated by the absence of a championship from his record.[5]

Beyond football, Maman faced a profound personal loss when his older sister Orit died in November 2021 at the age of 44 after battling cancer.[13] In his retirement statement, he described the period when the Israeli football community rallied around his family during her illness as the most significant achievement of his career — a reflection that placed human solidarity above any individual footballing honour.[13]

After retiring, Maman said he was interested in moving into football administration. He was studying in a senior-management course and expressed an ambition to become a sporting director, potentially at Hapoel Haifa.[5]