Sintayehu Sallalich

Sallalich has recalled that he came to football relatively late, saying: "I arrived at football only at age 16. Fortunately, when I played in Ramat Eliyahu, a man named Ron Israeli took me under his wing and gave me that support. He is still with me to this day."[3] He made his Israeli Premier League debut on May 15, 2010, at age 19, starting for Maccabi Haifa against Bnei Yehuda in the final round of the season.[4] Maccabi Haifa drew 1–1 that day and lost the championship to Hapoel Tel Aviv; Sallalich was substituted in the 72nd minute.[4]

After breaking into the Maccabi Haifa first team, Sallalich was loaned out successively to Hapoel Acre, Ironi Kiryat Shmona, and Beitar Jerusalem.[2] Across those three loan spells, he completed the full 90 minutes in only 29 league matches: 17 for Hapoel Acre, eight for Ironi Kiryat Shmona, and four for Beitar Jerusalem.[4]

Despite that limited record of complete matches, he secured a transfer to NK Maribor in Slovenia in 2014 — a move Sport5 described as one of the more surprising transfers involving an Israeli player.[4] The move proved to be a turning point. Early in his first season with the Slovenian champions, Sallalich contributed as Maribor eliminated Maccabi Tel Aviv in the third qualifying round and Celtic in the playoff round, reaching the UEFA Champions League group stage.[4] By September 2014, he had provided three league assists and become almost a regular starter.[4]

Sallalich later reflected on the personal challenge of that initial period abroad: "I was very worried about being alone, and that is what happened. Without a wife, without a girlfriend or a relative."[3] He adapted, however, eventually becoming a starter and, when a new Maribor coach shifted him from a wing role into central midfield, developing the ability to perform in two positions.[3] He spent three years with Maribor before returning to Israel.[3]

Back at Maccabi Haifa from 2017, Sallalich scored 14 goals in 73 appearances during his second spell with the club.[5] One memorable contribution came in a 2–1 win over Hapoel Beersheba in June 2020, when he headed home a Sun Menachem free kick 13 minutes after Ben Sahar had equalized, giving Haifa the three points at Sammy Ofer Stadium.[6]

In August 2020, Sallalich signed a one-season contract with Hapoel Be'er Sheva after leaving Maccabi Haifa — described at the time as his sixth career station.[5] He went on to score the opening goal in Hapoel Beersheba's 3–0 victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv, converting a pass from Josue past goalkeeper Ernestas Setkus.[7] On May 31, 2021, he provided the assist for Tomer Yosefi's 58th-minute goal in Hapoel Beersheba's 3–2 defeat to Maccabi Haifa, the match in which Maccabi Haifa secured the Premier League championship.[8]

In July 2022, he signed a two-year contract with Hapoel Tel Aviv after arranging his release from Turkish club Gençlerbirliği, where he had made 23 appearances and scored once in the Turkish second division.[2] While contracted to Hapoel Tel Aviv — where he was reported to be the club's highest-paid player, earning a monthly salary of 90,000 shekels — he was loaned to Nea Salamis Famagusta in Cyprus in 2023.[9]

In July 2024, Sallalich signed for Hapoel Kfar Saba after spending the previous season with Sektzia Ness Ziona, which was relegated to Liga Alef.[10] He scored nine league goals for Ness Ziona and was described as one of the team's bright spots despite the club's relegation.[10] In August 2026, following 455 days without playing football, he signed for Ironi Beit Shemesh of Liga Alef South.[1] He started for the club in September 2026 in a Liga Alef South match against Maccabi Ironi Ashdod, appearing alongside former Beitar Jerusalem players David Hojah and Shai Mazor.[11]

Sallalich's three years at Maribor gave him a sustained European spell that included two Slovenian league championships.[2] In a 2021 feature about footballers from Israel's Ethiopian community, ynet described him as the first player from the community to spend a significant period abroad and achieve relative success. Sallalich said the experience made him a more complete player: after beginning as a clearly defined winger, he learned to play in central midfield as well. The same report noted that he returned to good seasons at Maccabi Haifa and was then regarded as one of Hapoel Be'er Sheva's leading players.[3]

Israeli sports reports use several English spellings of the player's name. ONE uses the form "Sintayehu Sallalich."[1] The Jerusalem Post rendered the name "Sinteyehu Sallalich" in May 2021 and "Sinteyahu Sallalich" in June 2020.[8][6]