Right-sided winger Rachamim Talbi was born in Bulgaria during the Second World War and came to Israel at age five. He started his career at Hapoel Jaffa and arrived at Maccabi Tel Aviv on a free transfer in the summer of 1963. He quickly became a favourite of the MTA fans and in his first season he made 33 appearances in all competitions, scoring eight goals and winning with the club the Israel Football Association (IFA) Cup. A year later Talbi lifted the IFA Cup for the second consecutive time and scored an above average number of goals for a player in his position. His best season was in the 1966-68 season extended by the Six Day War, during which he scored 20 goals and secured the IFA Cup of 1966/67 (which went ahead as scheduled) and his first championship.
In the 1968/69 season Talbi was part of the Maccabi Tel Aviv squad that won their very first Asian Champion Club Cup, appearing in all of the team's matches and scoring a goal in the 6-1 semi-final victory over Indian side Misora. He also had the honour of scoring the third goal in Maccabi's 5-0 trouncing of arch rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv in the derby in the 1969/70 season. Still at the height of his Maccabi form, he finished the season with his second championship for the club.
After 13 years of service, during which he achieved the rarely attained accomplishment of scoring in each and every season, Talbi had secured three championships (the last of which came in the 1972/73 season) and four IFA Cups. In June of 1965 Talbi faced Bulgaria in the first of his 45 appearances for the national side, during which time he scored 10 goals. He will also be remembered for his goal in the 3-1 victory over El Salvador in the 1968 Olympics. He also appeared in Israel's 0-2 loss to Uruguay in the 1970 World Cup finals in Mexico.
