Midfielder Nir Klinger, heart and soul of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club in the 1990's, arrived precisely at the beginning of that decade after having won two championships with league rivals Maccabi Haifa. His transfer sent shockwaves throughout the Israeli footballing world, not only because of the size of the transfer fee but also because it took everyone by surprise. Klinger had already been a leading player at Maccabi Haifa but after making the switch to Tel Aviv he quickly became the number one son of his new club as well. His gifted play, responsible yet uncompromising, quickly earned him the captain's band, which he kept, either on his own or together with striker Eli Dricks, throughout his tenure at the club.
When Klinger arrived to Maccabi Tel Aviv from champions Maccabi Haifa, he found a club that had been waiting thirteen years to win the title, but by his second season, 1991/92, all that had changed and Maccabi Tel Aviv were already lifting the championship plate. Klinger's contribution to that success lay not only with his tackling ability and his direction of play from midfield. His nine goals in all competitions demonstrated that this holding midfielder had attacking quality as well, including one against Bnei Yehuda in the championship match itself.
In future seasons he would also score crucial goals in securing for the club both the coveted State and the Toto (League) Cups. His opening goal in the 1992/93 Toto Cup final opened the floodgates in a 4-0 victory over Hapoel Petah Tikva. In the following season's State Cup final Klinger scored the second goal in a 2-0 "derby" win against Hapoel Tel Aviv.
This rugged midfielder would maintain his delightful title-winning tempo with a second championship in the 1994/95 season and the double in 1995/96. In 1994/95 he got an assist in defender Alon Brumer's winning goal in the championship match against Hapoel Beer Sheva on the last day of the season. But in the double season of 1995/96 he had his most memorable moment of all. With five matches left to the season came the biggest of them all, against his former club and chief rival for the title, Maccabi Haifa. With the match drawn at 1-1 and in front of fully packed terraces at Haifa's Kiryat Eliezer Stadium, Klinger showed his characteristic determination in pouncing on a ball inside the area and nudging it into the net. In the end Maccabi Tel Aviv won comfortably 1-3, and never looked back after that. Klinger scored another goal against his former club in Maccabi Tel Aviv's semi-final 2-1 victory in the State Cup, a competition they went on to win after a 4-1 victory in the final against Hapoel Rishon Lezion.
Klinger continued to play until May of 1998, playing his final match in a 7-1 thrashing of Ironi Ashdod and scoring his final goal in a Maccabi Tel Aviv jersey. In all, Klinger won three championships and two State and Toto Cups, a respectable harvest for any football player. And despite his role as holding midfielder and his physical style of play, Klinger still managed to score a total of 47 goals in his eight years as a Maccabi Tel Aviv player. His bountiful career extended to national duties as well, captaining the Israeli national side and making 83 international appearances. He also returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv as head coach in the 2002/03 season, winning the championship and carrying the team into the group stages of the Champions League in 2004/05.
pictures courtesy of the Israel Football Association archives
