Ovidiu Hoban

Before arriving in Israel, Hoban built a career in Romanian football, most notably at Petrolul, where he was part of the Romanian national-team squad.[1] He accumulated 30 caps for Romania during his playing career.[2] His path to Hapoel Be'er Sheva came about somewhat by chance: the club had originally intended to sign midfielder Romário Pires, but when that deal fell through, Pires's agents recommended Hoban as an alternative.[1] Former Petrolul teammate Toto Tamuz also recommended him, and the club was enthusiastic about the prospect of signing a Romanian international.[1]

Hoban signed with Hapoel Be'er Sheva in September 2014, as the club prepared to build on a runners-up finish the previous season and had retained its core group of players.[3] His first impression of the club's home ground was famously skeptical — he recalled asking what Vasermil Stadium was and whether the team was actually supposed to play there — but he was reassured that a new stadium was under construction and that the club had serious ambitions and was investing accordingly.[1]

Despite initial doubts about the facilities, Hoban said his integration into the squad was immediate.[1] He spent three seasons at the club, playing primarily as a central midfielder but also deployed as a centre-back when circumstances required.[1] Coaches Elisha Levy and, more frequently, Barak Bachar used him in defensive roles within flexible systems that could shift mid-match between three centre-backs and two, with Hoban moving into midfield as needed — arrangements the team specifically practiced ahead of European fixtures.[1] He was regularly paired in central midfield with John Ogu, particularly in important matches.[1]

In the 2015 State Cup final, Be'er Sheva faced Maccabi Tel Aviv. Hoban scored from the edge of the box in the 34th minute, but Maccabi ran out 6–2 winners — completing the club's first Israeli treble — while Be'er Sheva remained without a domestic title since 1997.[4] Hoban later described that match as the worst of his three seasons at the club and the worst of his life; he credited the defeat with sharpening the squad's resolve before it went on to win two consecutive league titles.[1]

On May 9, 2016, Hoban scored Beersheba's second goal in a 2–0 win over Beitar Jerusalem, striking from the edge of the box six minutes after captain Elyaniv Barda opened the scoring in the 77th minute.[5] The victory extended the club's lead at the top of the league to five points and its unbeaten run to 29 matches, described at the time as the longest undefeated streak in European football.[5]

In the final match of the 2016–17 season, Hoban converted a penalty in the 32nd minute of a 2–0 win over Bnei Sakhnin — a result that capped a campaign in which Beersheba finished with a club-record 26 wins and 85 points, completing a second consecutive unbeaten home season.[6] Reports at the time noted that the match was likely his last for the club.[6]

Hoban featured in some of Hapoel Be'er Sheva's most memorable European nights. In the 2016 UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds, Beersheba faced Celtic in a playoff. Having lost the first leg 5–2 in Glasgow, the club needed a 3–0 win in the second leg to advance to the group stage. Hoban scored shortly after halftime in a 2–0 home victory, following a defensive error involving Celtic's Saidy Janko and goalkeeper Craig Gordon — but the aggregate deficit was too great, and the club fell one goal short of the group stage, dropping into the UEFA Europa League instead.[7]

In the Europa League group stage that followed, Beersheba recorded a 3–2 win over Inter Milan in November 2016. Hoban remained on the field until coach Barak Bachar replaced him with Mohammad Ghadir with nine minutes remaining.[8] Ghadir and Ben Sahar, who had also entered as a substitute, combined for a 93rd-minute winner — completing a double over Inter that included an earlier 2–0 victory at San Siro.[8]

During his time in Israel, Hoban developed unusually close ties to the Hapoel Be'er Sheva supporter base. He said dozens of fans became friends and that some felt like family; he attended their weddings and bar mitzvahs and volunteered to coach a group of children every Friday.[1] One episode that stood out involved former player Leandro Simioni, who arrived at the stadium in a wheelchair and was greeted by the players gathering to applaud him — Hoban approached and embraced him.[1] Supporter Benzi Blumenfeld welcomed and supported Hoban from his arrival in Israel, and Hoban maintained contact with Blumenfeld's family long after leaving the club.[9]

His son Bogdan grew up in Be'er Sheva, learned fluent Hebrew, and reportedly asked club owner Alona Barkat to sign his father for ten more years so the family could remain in Israel.[1] When Hoban was told the family would be returning to Romania in 2017, Bogdan cried.[1] Hoban said he and his family had greatly enjoyed living in Israel but believed his son should continue his education in Romania.[1]

Hoban's departure from Hapoel Be'er Sheva in 2017 came down to squad management rather than any falling-out with the club. Officials told him they already had five foreign players lined up for the following season and wanted to add a striker to that group, leaving no room for him within the foreign-player quota.[1] He said he was disappointed but accepted the decision and moved on.[1]

Approached by Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Petah Tikva, Hoban declined both offers. His reasoning was direct: if he could not play for Hapoel Be'er Sheva, he did not want to play in Israel for a club that competed against it.[1] He returned to Romania instead.

Back in Romania, Hoban joined Cluj, where a July 2023 report said he had spent the previous five years and worn the captain's armband.[10] Reports differ over the precise timing of his retirement. The July 2023 report said he had decided to retire that year at age 40.[10] Sport5 reported in October 2023 that he had retired during the previous summer, also at 40.[2] In February 2025, Hoban said he had retired "last year."[9]

By early 2025, Hoban had transitioned into coaching at Cluj. He coached an academy youth team before stepping in as interim head coach of the senior side for three or four matches.[9] When Dan Petrescu was appointed head coach, he retained Hoban as an assistant.[9] Hoban said he was working toward a full coaching license and hoped eventually to become a head coach — including, one day, at Hapoel Be'er Sheva.[9]

Following the October 7, 2023 attacks, Hoban publicly expressed solidarity with Israel, saying the country was his "second home" and that he spoke daily with friends there to confirm they were safe.[2] Asked around the same time whether he preferred Romania or Israel to qualify for the European Championship, he replied that he was "51%" for Romania — explaining that representing his country had been his greatest dream — while adding he would be happy for Israel to win too.[2]

Hoban continues to follow Hapoel Be'er Sheva and keeps in touch with friends in the city.[9] His three seasons there produced two league championships and a Europa League group-stage run that included two victories over Inter Milan.[2][8] His community involvement and continued ties to supporters helped his reputation endure beyond his time in Israeli football.[1][9]