Omri Gandelman

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Omri Gandelman

| image = Omri Gandelman 2022 (cropped).jpg

| upright =

| caption = Gandelman playing for Maccabi Netanya in 2022

| full_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|5|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Hod HaSharon, Israel

| height = 1.88 m{{cite web | url=https://global.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/326642 | title=Omri Gandelman - KAA Gent Midfielder }}

| position = Midfielder, forward

| currentclub = KAA Gent{{fact|date=November 2024}}

| clubnumber = 6

| youthyears1 = 2008–2011 | youthclubs1 = Hapoel Hod HaSharon

| youthyears2 = 2011–2014 | youthclubs2 = Maccabi Petah Tikva

| youthyears3 = 2014–2017 | youthclubs3 = Hapoel Ra'anana

| youthyears4 = 2017–2018 | youthclubs4 = Maccabi Petah Tikva

| youthyears5 = 2018 | youthclubs5 = Wehen Wiesbaden

| youthyears6 = 2018–2020 | youthclubs6 = Maccabi Netanya

| years1 = 2020–2023 | clubs1 = Maccabi Netanya | caps1 = 100 | goals1 = 9

| years2 = 2023– | clubs2 = KAA Gent | caps2 = 57 | goals2 = 15

| nationalyears1 = 2021–2023

| nationalteam1 = Israel U21

| nationalcaps1 = 14

| nationalgoals1 = 4

| nationalyears2 = 2024

| nationalteam2 = Israel Olympic

| nationalcaps2 = 3

| nationalgoals2 = 1

| nationalyears3 = 2021–

| nationalteam3 = Israel

| nationalcaps3 = 4

| nationalgoals3 = 1

| club-update = 23 February 2025

| nationalteam-update = 17 November 2024

}}

Omri Gandelman ({{langx|he|עמרי גנדלמן}} also spelled {{lang|he|עומרי גאנדלמן}}; born {{birth date|2000|5|16|df=yes}}) is an Israeli professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or forward for Belgian Pro League club KAA Gent and the Israel national team.

Early and personal life

Gandelman was born and raised in Hod HaSharon, Israel,{{soccerway}}{{cite web|url=https://www.playmakerstats.com/player.php?id=784141|title=Omri Gandelman|website=playmakerstats.com|access-date=26 October 2024|language=he}} to an Israeli family of Ashkenazi Jewish descent and of Sephardi Jewish descent.{{Worldfootball.net}} His father is Israeli former basketball player Shmuel "Shmulik" Gandelman,{{cite web | url=https://basket.co.il/player.asp?PlayerId=6713 | title=מנהלת ליגת העל בכדורסל | כדורסל ישראלי | עונת 1989-90 | ראשון לציון | שמוליק גנדלמן |website=basket.co.il |access-date=26 October 2024 |language=he}} and grandson of Rami Gandelman who was a basketball manager and a sports personality in Jerusalem.{{cite web | url=https://www.one.co.il/Article/394965.html | title="מתאים לאירופה": גאנדלמן הוא היהלום בנתניה |trans-title="Suitable for Europe": Gandelman is the diamond in Netanya |work=One |first=Tomer |last=Chavez |date=16 October 2021 |access-date=26 October 2024 |language=he}}

He also holds a Portuguese passport, on account of his Sephardi Jewish ancestors, which eases the move to certain European football leagues.

As of late 2023, he resides in Gent, Belgium, along with his Israeli girlfriend Meital.{{cite web | url=https://www.haaretz.co.il/sport/israel-soccer/2024-11-14/ty-article-magazine/.premium/00000193-260c-de99-a9bb-f7bdc1480000 | title=עונת הבכורה שלו עלתה על כל הציפיות. השנה הוא הפך לכוכב גם בהתקפה }}

Club career

Gandelman is a youth product of the academies of the Israeli clubs Hapoel Hod HaSharon, Maccabi Petah Tikva and Hapoel Ra'anana. In 2018, he was scouted by the German academy of Wehen Wiesbaden and had a stint there, before returning to his native Israel for its mandatory military service. After Gandelman's astounding performance in the UEFA U-21 Euros; he had signed a pre-agreement with English Premier League side Arsenal, although nothing came of this.{{cn|date=December 2024}}

=Maccabi Netanya=

Gandelman made his professional senior debut with Maccabi Netanya in a 3–1 Israeli Premier League victory over Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona on 2 June 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2020/06/02/israel/ligat-haal/maccabi-netanya-fc/hapoel-ironi-kiryat-shmona-fc/3242164/|title=Maccabi Netanya vs. Ironi Kiryat Shmona - 2 June 2020 - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}

International career

Gandelman played for the Israel U21 side from 2021 to 2023.

Coming on as a substitute within the first half, Gandelman debuted with the seniors' Israel national team in a 4–2 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification away loss against Austria on 12 November 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/match/2030975/|title=Austria-Israel | European Qualifiers|website=UEFA}} Gandelman scored his first international goal for Israel in their UEFA Nations League match against France on 10 October 2024.

=2024 Summer Olympics=

Gandelman has been selected for the Israel U23's squad, ahead of the men's football tournament at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.{{Cite web|title=פריז, אנחנו באים!!!|trans-title=Yes, please leave!!!|url=https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1022378272580909&set=a.339271357558274|website=Facebook|publisher=Israel Football Association|language=he|date=11 July 2024}}

He has played for the Israel U23 the whole three Olympic matches,{{cite web |title=Mali-Israel |url= https://www.fifa.com/en/match-centre/match/512/286056/286057/400018544 |website=FIFA |access-date=31 July 2024}} {{cite web |title=Israel-Paraguay |url= https://www.fifa.com/en/match-centre/match/512/286056/286057/400018543 |website=FIFA |access-date=31 July 2024}} {{cite web |title=Israel-Japan |url= https://www.fifa.com/en/match-centre/match/512/286056/286057/400018548 |website=FIFA |access-date=31 July 2024}} as they were knocked out after the group-stage ended. Gandelman scored a goal against Paraguay U23 to make it a 1–1 tie, which was eventually lost. {{cite web |title=Israel-Paraguay |url= https://www.fifa.com/en/match-centre/match/512/286056/286057/400018543 |website=FIFA |access-date=31 July 2024}}

Career statistics

=Club=

Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition !rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|Belgian Cup !colspan="2"\|Europe !colspan="2"\|Total
rowspan="2"\|Gent \|2023–24 \|Belgian Pro League \|33	11	2	0	10{{efn\|name=UECL\|Appearances in UEFA Conference League}}	2	45	13
2024–25 \|Belgian Pro League \|24	4	1	1	10{{efn\|name=UECL}}	6	35	11
colspan="3"\|Career total !57	15	3	1	20	8	80	24

=International=

National team	Year	Apps
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year
rowspan="4"\|Israel \|2021	1	0
2022	0	0
2023	0	0
2024	3	1
colspan="2"\|Total\|\|4\|\|1

:Scores and results list Israel's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Gandelman’s goal

class="wikitable" \|+ List of international goals scored by Omri Gandelman
scope="col"\|No. !scope="col"\|Date !scope="col"\|Venue !scope="col"\|Opponent !scope="col"\|Score !scope="col"\|Result !scope="col"\|Competition
align="center"\|1	10 October 2024	Bozsik Aréna, Budapest, Hungary	{{fb\|FRA}}	align="center"\|1–1	align="center"\|1-4	2024–25 UEFA Nations League A

class="wikitable"

|+ List of international goals scored by Omri Gandelman

scope="col"|No.

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Venue

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Score

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Competition

align="center"|1

10 October 2024

Bozsik Aréna, Budapest, Hungary

align="center"|1–1

align="center"|1-4

2024–25 UEFA Nations League A

Honours

Maccabi Netanya

Israel Toto Cup (Ligat Ha'Al): 2022–23

References

External links

[https://www.playmakerstats.com/player.php?id=784141 Omri Gandelman] at PlaymakerStats.com
{{IFA national player}}
{{IFA league player}}
{{Soccerway}}
{{Worldfootball.net}}
{{ESPN FC player}}
{{UEFA}}

Category:2000 births

Category:Living people

Category:Israeli men's footballers

Category:21st-century Israeli sportsmen

Category:Israeli Ashkenazi Jews

Category:Israeli Sephardi Jews

Category:21st-century Sephardi Jews

Category:Footballers from Hod HaSharon

Category:Jewish footballers

Category:Maccabi Netanya F.C. players

Category:K.A.A. Gent players

Category:Israeli Premier League players