Tikva, Shalom

Tikvan was considerde a true artist on the field. His style was reminiscent of Zinedine Zidane as he possessed the ultimate playmaking skills. Unfortunately, a serious injury problem precluded Tikva from enjoying what should have been a highly successful European career. He scored three goals in 21 international appearances.

Birth and Death Dates:
unknown

Career Highlights:
The last truly glorious product of the Maccabi Netanya youth system, Tikva played for Netanya's competent but unspectacular side of the late 1980s. In 1988, Shalom suffered his first serious injury and never really recovered. He spent two years with Belgian side Standard Liege, and did well when he was healthy. Unfortunately, while playing in Belgium Tikva aggravated his injury and came back to Netanya.

Shalom moved to Hapoel Tel Aviv during the 1995-96 season, and scored three goals as he helped Moshe Sinai's mediocre club end the season in a respectable fifth place in the Israel League. During the year, Tikva remained relatively healthy and was dominant in the midfield. Then he suffered yet another horrific injury and missed the 1996-97 season

Tikva registered seven assists and scored five goals as he regained his form during the 1997-98 campaign. Hapoel Tel Aviv finished second in the league that year, though the outcome has been put into question. There is much evidence that Hapoel Beit She'an threw the game against Betar Jerusalem on the final day of the season thereby allowing Betar to win the title at Hapoel's expense. One major newspaper voted Tikva the "Player of the Year".

Tikva opened the 1998-99 season with style. Tel Aviv drew FinnPa of Finland in the first round of the UEFA Cup. Shalom scored the final goal in a 3-1 win at home and bashed in two more in an identical score away. He also helped the Reds win the State Cup scoring the only goal for Tel Aviv as they beat Betar on penalties. In the league they came in fifth while Shalom scored six and cooked up four passes.

1999-00 was Shalom's final season as a player and he went out with a bang. Hapoel won the league and Cup "double" with Tikva operating as a super-sub. The following pattern was repeated almost every game: Hapoel's strong defense would keep the score at 0-0 until the playmaker was introduced at the 60th minute. Hapoel would then transform into a hungry offensive machine scoring two goals. Shalom became the most feared player in the league with his sublime passing.

Tikva retired from pay and was appointed assistant manager of Hapoel Tel Aviv under Dror Kashtan . Shalom eventually quit as he did not like the way Kashtan's treatment of his brother Avi Tikva.

Origin:
Israel

Position:
Midfielder

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