JERUSALEM, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Maccabi Haifa captain Neta Lavi has moved to Japanese J1 League side Gamba Osaka, the two clubs announced on Friday.
The 26-year-old defensive midfielder has so far played his club football entirely for the Israeli side, for whom he played 242 times across seven seasons, winning two Israeli championship titles and one state cup.
He has also played 12 times for Israel's national team since making his debut in 2016.
Lavi played in all six of Maccabi Haifa's UEFA Champions League games this season, against Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Benfica.
"I'm really excited for the upcoming season," Lavi said. "Lots of hard work ahead of us to achieve all our targets."
The two clubs did not mention a transfer fee, but Israeli media suggested that Gamba will pay Lavi around one million euros per season in a three-year contract, with a transfer fee of around 500,000 euros to Maccabi Haifa.
After 19 matches, Maccabi Haifa currently sit top of the Israeli Premier League, with a five-point advantage over second-placed Maccabi Tel Aviv. Japan's 2023 J1 League season is scheduled to kick off on February 17. ■
