Gabi Kanyukovsky Returns to Maccabi Tel Aviv on Four-Year Deal

Gabi Kanyukovsky has officially signed a new four-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv, the club announced on Wednesday. The midfielder's return was revealed about an hour before the team's 3-1 victory over Maccabi Haifa. Kanyukovsky expressed his excitement about rejoining the club, stating, "I want to say thank you to the dear fans for all the crazy support you've given me. I'm happy to be back home, to a home that supports, loves, and pushes. I can't wait to see you at Bloomfield already."

Maccabi Tel Aviv strategically announced Kanyukovsky's return before the match against Maccabi Haifa, hoping to boost fan morale following their elimination from European competition. The club's professional manager, Steven Vaharn, had identified Kanyukovsky's return as a key objective even before officially taking his post, having followed the player for some time. Kanyukovsky is a product of Maccabi Tel Aviv's youth academy, having joined at 16 and a half. He previously played for the senior team, making his debut in October 2015, and had loan spells at Hapoel Petah Tikva and Hapoel Acre before returning to Maccabi Tel Aviv from Maccabi Netanya in the summer of 2021.

During his previous tenure with Maccabi Tel Aviv, Kanyukovsky made 194 appearances across all competitions, scoring 27 goals and providing 46 assists. He won five titles with the club, including two league championships (2023/24, 2024/25), two Toto Cups in the same seasons, and the Champions of Champions title in the 2024/25 season. He also participated in European competitions, reaching the Europa League group stage once and the Conference League group stage twice, with a best finish of the Round of 16.

Internationally, Kanyukovsky has earned 21 caps for the senior Israel national team, scoring one goal, and has 15 appearances and another goal for the youth national teams. The club believes his addition, alongside players like Isai Sa'id and Dor Peretz, will form a strong midfield. They also anticipate the return of Cristian Biton from injury to further strengthen the center of the park. The transfer fee for Kanyukovsky is reportedly €1.2 million, with his annual salary set at €525,000, matching his previous earnings in Hungary. As part of the deal, the club will cover taxes related to his return to Israel after a year.