Rafi Levi (footballer)

Levi developed as a footballer at Maccabi Holon before moving to Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he broke into the senior team before the age of 17.[1] His debut-round match for the club ended in a 6–1 defeat of Maccabi Netanya, and Levi scored in it — an immediate statement of intent from a teenager who would go on to become one of the defining forwards in Israeli football.[1]

His ascent coincided with a competitive period for Maccabi Tel Aviv, and his early seasons at the club demonstrated not only his goal-scoring ability but also a fierce commitment to the team. In 1957, while Maccabi were locked in a title race with Hapoel Petah Tikva and Hapoel Tel Aviv, Levi was serving in the Israel Defense Forces and was stationed at basic training.[2] He left his unit without permission to play the decisive match against Hapoel Tel Aviv, scored twice in a 3–0 victory, and then spent the night in military detention rather than celebrating with his teammates.[2]

The 1957/58 season marked Levi's first major breakthrough on the national stage. He finished as the Israeli league's leading scorer with 14 goals and was central to Maccabi Tel Aviv's league-and-cup double.[1] In the State Cup semifinal he scored five goals against Shimshon Tel Aviv, then added another in the final against Hapoel Haifa.[1] His partnership with teammate Shiyeh Glazer became one of the most talked-about attacking combinations in Israeli football, earning Levi the nickname "the second half."[1]

He surpassed even that output in the 1959/60 season, scoring 19 goals in 20 league appearances — nearly a goal per match — to claim the leading scorer title for a second time.[1] Levi's first spell at Maccabi Tel Aviv ran from the 1954 season through 1961, when he left for Australia.[3] Across his Maccabi career, including his later return, he was credited with 86 goals in 132 appearances across all competitions, two Israeli championships, three State Cups, and one Aluf HaAlufim title.[4]

Levi represented Israel 17 times and scored 11 international goals, making him one of the most effective strikers the national team produced in that era.[4]

His most famous performance came in Belgrade, in Israel's qualifying match against Yugoslavia for the 1960 Rome Olympics.[4] Playing before approximately 55,000 spectators, Levi put Israel ahead in the second minute.[2] After Yugoslavia equalized, he scored the winning goal in the second half — the decisive touch coming after goalkeeper Ya'akov Hodorov sent a long clearance forward.[2] Israel's 2–1 victory forced Yugoslavia to rely on goal difference in the final qualification standings; Yugoslavia ultimately won the gold medal at the Rome Olympics, making the Israeli result all the more striking in context.[2]

About a month after the Belgrade match, in a friendly against England's under-23 team at Ramat Gan Stadium, Levi scored Israel's opening goal, added a second, won a penalty, and provided an assist.[2] England manager Walter Winterbottom reportedly took note of Levi and considered the possibility of arranging his transfer to an English club.[2]

In 1961, Levi left Maccabi Tel Aviv for Hakoah Sydney in Australia.[3] A retrospective account estimated that roughly half of his playing career took place outside Israel.[2] With European football largely closed to Israeli players, he sought professional opportunities in Australia and South Africa, later playing for Highlands Park in the latter country.[2]

In 1965, Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters reportedly raised 50,000 Israeli pounds to persuade him to return.[3] He came back for another season before departing again for South Africa.[3] After his spells abroad, he also joined Hapoel Ra'anana of the second division.[2] He retired from football in 1972.[1]

Levi's status in Israeli popular culture extended beyond the football pitch. Following Israel's celebrated 1960 victory in Belgrade, journalist and author Shraga Gafni wrote the children's book בעט אלון, בעט ("Kick, Alon, Kick"), whose protagonist Alon was based on Levi; Levi also became associated with the youth series "The Young Athletes."[3][2] The team's return from Belgrade drew large crowds to Ben-Gurion Airport, while signs supporting the national team appeared across the country, underscoring the public response to the victory.[2]

Levi died in February 2021, three days after his 83rd birthday, and was buried in Hadera.[4]

Published accounts differ on the precise tally of Levi's honours at Maccabi Tel Aviv. ONE, citing the club's official website, reports two Israeli championships, three State Cups, and one Aluf HaAlufim title, while ynet lists two championships — in 1956 and 1958 — and two State Cups, in 1958 and 1959.[4][1] The sources agree on a total of 86 goals, while the 132-appearance figure is supplied by ONE and is not contradicted by the other reports.[4][2]