Ofir Marciano

Marciano was born on 7 October 1989.[1] He began his senior career with M.S. Ashdod in 2008; the available sources focus on his professional career and do not provide details about his childhood or youth development.[1]

Marciano began his senior career at M.S. Ashdod in 2008 and left in 2015 after six seasons and 139 appearances in Israel’s top division.[1][2]

In 2015, Marciano moved to Belgian club Mouscron, where he played during the 2015–16 season, before joining Hibernian in Scotland in 2016.[1] He helped Hibernian win promotion in his first season and made more than 100 appearances in Scotland’s top division over five seasons.[2] In September 2017, he asked manager Neil Lennon for permission to miss a match against Celtic because it coincided with Yom Kippur. Lennon agreed, saying, “That’s more important than football.”[5]

Marciano joined Feyenoord in 2021 after five seasons at Hibernian, knowing he was not arriving as the first-choice goalkeeper.[6] He began the 2021–22 season as a substitute, but an injury to first-choice goalkeeper Justin Bijlow gave him an opportunity to take on a senior role. He was part of Feyenoord’s run to the inaugural UEFA Conference League final.[7] He later described himself as part of the team that won the Dutch league title, saying he had received that sense of inclusion from the club and his teammates despite playing relatively little.[8]

In June 2023, after eight years in Europe, Marciano signed a three-year contract with Hapoel Be’er Sheva.[2] He said the return was his choice: although Feyenoord had offered him a good contract to stay and he had wanted to experience the Champions League, he and his wife decided to return to Israel as talks with Be’er Sheva progressed.[8] He described the move as choosing “to play rather than sit on the bench in a comfortable place, but a place where you feel less alive.”[8]

At the time of his return, Marciano said that he had felt his profile among Israeli football fans was limited, partly because he had come from M.S. Ashdod rather than a larger Israeli club and because Israel’s campaigns had not left a strong impression. He saw joining Be’er Sheva as a chance to make a greater impression at home.[8] In August 2023, he was reported as the replacement for Omri Glazer, who had left for Red Star Belgrade, although Marciano had not played much during the preceding couple of seasons.[9] A 2026 report described him as part of the depth and experience available to Be’er Sheva during its league-title campaign.[10]

In October 2014, Israel coach Eli Gutman selected Marciano to start against Cyprus in the opening match of Israel’s Euro 2016 qualifying campaign; the match was expected to be his international debut.[11]

Marciano started in goal for Israel in both of the team’s opening UEFA Nations League matches in 2020, 1–1 draws against Scotland and Slovakia. The fixtures also served as preparation for Israel’s European Championship qualifying semifinal against Scotland.[12]

One of his notable international performances came on 4 September 2021, when Israel defeated Austria 5–2 in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier at Sammy Ofer Stadium in Haifa. As Austria pressed, Marciano made reported stops against Alessandro Schöpf, Christoph Baumgartner, and Marko Arnautović; a save in the 52nd minute helped keep Israel two goals ahead.[3]

In March 2022, Marciano played in Israel’s 2–0 defeat to Germany. The match report described him as a bright spot for Israel, crediting his saves with keeping the team in the match and preventing a heavier defeat.[4] In a 2022 interview, he recalled that after a difficult Feyenoord match against Ajax he changed environments to join Israel and then performed well against Germany. At that time, he held Israel’s first-choice goalkeeper position.[6] He said he preferred to respond to discussion of his performances on the field and emphasized the importance of recovering from less successful days.[4]

In 2023, Marciano’s playing time at Feyenoord was described as limited, and Israel’s goalkeeping lineup was discussed as potentially changing, with Daniel Peretz and Omri Glazer among those competing for the starting role.[13]

Marciano’s request to miss Hibernian’s 2017 match against Celtic because it fell on Yom Kippur drew attention to his religious observance. He had described himself as “close to his religion,” and Hibernian manager Neil Lennon granted the request, explaining: “That’s more important than football.”[5]

Marciano’s career has taken him from M.S. Ashdod through Scottish and Dutch football and back to a prominent Israeli club. His record includes helping Hibernian win promotion, playing more than 100 times in Scotland’s top division, and being part of Feyenoord’s Dutch league title-winning squad.[2][8] His return to Hapoel Be’er Sheva followed a period in which he said he had played relatively little in the Netherlands, and he framed the move as an opportunity to play more and make a stronger impression in Israel.[8]

His career has also included standout moments for Israel, notably the 5–2 qualifying victory over Austria, in which he made several important saves.[3] Marciano has described setbacks as part of a player’s career, saying after discussing a difficult club match followed by a strong international performance: “It’s not how you fall, but how you pick yourself up.”[6] He also recalled that after Feyenoord’s match against Marseille, a supporter in the Netherlands had a tattoo of him made on the supporter’s leg.[8]

Reports published in June 2023 gave slightly different totals for Marciano’s Israel appearances. Walla Sport reported 40 appearances, while ONE reported 41.[2][14] The available reports do not explain the discrepancy.