Charlotte FC sign Israeli winger Liel Abada from Celtic

CELTIC FC

Charlotte FC signed Glascow Celtic FC winger Liel Abada to a three-year deal reported to be worth around $10 million with an option for 2027

Charlotte FC filled one of two Designated Player slots created by the departures of Karol Swiderski and Kamil Jozwiak with the acquisition of winger Liel Abada, a 22-year-old Israeli national team player who has been with Glasgow Celtic FC in the Scottish Premiership since 2021.

Abada is signed through 2026 with an option for 2027 and will occupy an international roster slot. It has been reported to be in the $10 million range.

Abada brings a winning mentality from Glasgow. Along with the Scottish Premier League, Celtic hit for the treble in 2023 with wins in the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.  He joined Celtic under the guidance of Ange Postecoglou, now head coach for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League who champions an attacking style. Celtic’s current coach is former Liverpool and Leicester boss Brendan Rogers.

“I'm really pleased,” Charlotte coach Dean Smith said Thursday. “He's a player that I know well, coming from the UK. He's been playing in Scotland but there's not many English people who don't know about Celtic and Rangers players because they're always in the news and they're on the TV. To get a player of his caliber and the consistency that he's had in the last couple of seasons with Celtic is a big coup, I believe.

“He'll add creativity in the final third; he scores goals, and he creates goals.”

Abada has been integral on offense for Celtic, winner of the last two Scottish titles. In nine games this season in which he’s been limited by a torn thigh muscle, Abada had a goal and an assist but has been credited with 51 goal contributions (29 goals, 22 assists) in 112 matches over two-and-a-half seasons.

He tallied 13 goals with nine assists in 29 games over all competitions in 2022-23, and 15 goals and 11 assists in 54 appearances over all competitions in 2021-22 He was PFA Scotland’s Young Player of the Year in 2021-22.

In 76 total matches for Maccabi Petach Tikva from 2018-21, Abada scored 20 times and added 10 assists. He has 10 caps and one goal for the Israeli national team since his debut in 2021, and 51 appearances, eight goals on the Israel U16 to U21 teams since he was 15.

Charlotte general manager Zoran Krneta is equally enthusiastic about the signing.

“Liel has been one of the most exciting young wingers in Europe and we’re delighted to welcome him to Charlotte,” he said. “He’s an elite goal scorer and chance creator who is a proven winner that is determined to bring trophies home to the club and our supporters.”

Krneta pointed out that Abada had played close to 200 professional games since making his debut, which has included the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, where he played against clubs like Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, Real Betis. To bring a player of his caliber to Major League Soccer speaks to the strength of the league, but also that Charlotte FC is an attractive destination for top foreign talent.

Abada signed a four-year deal with Celtic last summer before a thigh injury kept him out for three months. His situation in Glasgow was further complicated when the attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians last October and the response by the Israel military was followed by overt support of some Celtic fans, including the ultras group Green Brigade for the Palestinians in Gaza, not distinguishing between innocents hurt and Hamas who had initiated the conflict. Their support included banners in the stadium.

As reported by The Scottish Sun, Abada had also been verbally accosted on the street. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said: “This is a young guy, 22 years of age, far, far away from home. People can talk about what’s going on there and then they can forget about it. This is the reality for him, this is his life. Every single day, every night, families in a war.

"So it’s a really, really tough situation for him. On a human level, I have real, real empathy for him.”

There will be a Glasgow link in Charlotte, though one of rivalry. Midfielder Scott Arfield previously starred for Rangers.

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