Bnei Yehuda fans launch fundraiser for Pedro Galván amid financial hardship

Fans of Bnei Yehuda have opened a crowdfunding campaign for Pedro Galván, one of the most beloved foreign players in Israeli football, after learning he is facing serious financial trouble. Galván, 40, lives in Argentina with his wife and four daughters, and those close to him say he has exhausted his savings after years in Israel and during a period when he was barred from training before being deported.

According to the report, the former striker, Israel’s all-time leading foreign scorer in the Premier League, is now trying to rebuild his life after finishing his professional playing career. The economic situation in Argentina has made that especially difficult, and the article says he is struggling to support his family. Bnei Yehuda supporters and the club are said to be in regular contact with him and aware of his situation.

The fans’ message described Galván as more than “the biggest foreign player to ever play here.” They called him part of the club’s identity and said he remains “a true lover of Israel” who represented Bnei Yehuda and its fans with great honor. The campaign says that now, while he is far away physically, “his heart is still here with us in the neighborhood.”

Galván played in Israel from 2008 to 2020, mainly for Bnei Yehuda, and also had spells with Maccabi Petah Tikva and Hapoel Tel Aviv. He is remembered as one of the club’s all-time greats and won the State Cup with Bnei Yehuda in 2017. He was forced to leave Israel in 2018 after a legal battle and the expiry of his residence permit. In a March interview, he said he was working as an assistant coach at Club Ciudad de Bolívar, had stopped playing after last season, and was unsure whether he could return to Israel.