Gustavo Boccoli ( he, גוסטבו בוקולי; born 16 February 1978) is a retired Brazilian-

Israeli Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli ...

footballer. He was a versatile midfielder who played most of his career for Israeli Premier League club Maccabi Haifa.

Early and personal life

After multiple attempts of application for Israeli citizenship, and after he was given only a temporary resident status, Boccoli was given a permanent resident status and an Israeli ID card on 7 July 2013. He finally became a legitimate Naturalized citizen of Israel on 7 December 2013. He resided in Haifa, Israel, with his wife Jozi and son Gaby.

Club career

He joined Israel's Maccabi Haifa after his former team, Maccabi Ahi Nazareth, dropped to the second division in the 2003–2004 season. He won the 2004–2005 championship with Haifa. He can play in the centre midfield and as a winger and can also occupy the "Number 10 position" behind the striker.Harush, Moshe
"Aging Maccabi Haifa star Boccoli seeks that sweet spot on the field"
''

Haaretz ''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...

'', 7 March 2008. Retrieved on 8 May 2013. During 2008, he drew more fouls than any other player in Israeli Premier League. Boccoli was voted "footballer of the year" by the Israeli Premier League players in 2006, after scoring 12 goals, assisting 9 goals and helping Maccabi Haifa to win its third championship in a row and a Toto Cup.

Style of play

Boccoli played most of his career as a right winger. He is a box-to-box player, running along the right wing non-stop, has great dribbling ability and good technique, and really keeps good physical fitness. Boccoli can shoot from distance, and he scored many goals from outside the box. He also excels in extracting offenses, as his defenders find it difficult to guard him. In recent seasons Boccoli has started playing as a defensive midfielder and as a central midfielder. In this role Boccoli outstanding fighting spirit and motivation, expressed extracting a ball and press on the opposing team midfielders. On June 24, 2015 Boccoli decided to retire from football. He will mostly be known for his 11 years with Maccabi Haifa, there he made 434 caps and scored 39 goals.

Later career

Boccoli also speaks Hebrew, and hosted a weekly cooking show on Benny Bashan's radio show called ''Benny in the Radio'' on Israeli radio station Galei Tzahal. He was appointed as a

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...

for Israeli club Maccabi Haifa, after his retirement as a football player.

Honours

* Israeli Premier League (4): **2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11 * Toto Cup (2): **2005–06, 2007–08

References