Eli Ohana
A mercurial football genius whose dazzling skill and fiery passion made him the undisputed king of Israeli soccer in the 1980s.
Born 1964 (age 62)·Israeli footballer·Birthday: February 1·Baby Boomers
Biography
Eli Ohana didn't just play football; he conducted it with a flamboyant, almost arrogant artistry that captivated and divided Israel. His spiritual home was Beitar Jerusalem, where his relationship with the club and its fervent fans was a lifelong saga of hero worship and complex management. While a stint at Belgium's KV Mechelen yielded a European Cup Winners' Cup medal, his true legacy was forged in the white and black of Beitar and the blue of the national team. Ohana played with a street footballer's inventiveness—backheels, dribbles, and audacious chips—that felt both spontaneous and deadly. His career was a tapestry of sublime goals, controversial moments, and a deep, often tumultuous, connection to the sport's heart in Israel. After hanging up his boots, he transitioned into management and club leadership, proving his football mind was as sharp as his feet, forever remaining 'HaMelech'—The King—to a generation of supporters.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Eli was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Eli Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Eli's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1988 with Belgian club KV Mechelen, scoring in the semi-final.
- Named Israeli Footballer of the Year three times (1985, 1986, 1993), a testament to his enduring dominance.
- Captained the Israel national football team and remains one of its most capped and prolific scorers.
- Led Beitar Jerusalem to its first-ever Israeli Premier League title as a player in 1987.
- Served as Chairman of Beitar Jerusalem, guiding the club from a front-office role after his playing days.
Did You Know?
He is known by the nickname 'The King' (HaMelech) among Beitar Jerusalem fans.
Ohana scored a famous 'backheel' goal for the Israeli national team against Australia in 1989.
He had a brief, unsuccessful playing spell with Portuguese side S.C. Braga after his peak years in Belgium.
He served as interim manager of the Israel national football team for two matches in 2014.
“In Jerusalem, I played with my heart on my sleeve and the city in my blood.”
