Maccabi Haifa to Release Injured Manuel Benson for Financial Compensation

Maccabi Haifa is reportedly planning to release winger Manuel Benson, an Angolan-Belgian player who suffered a torn ACL, before the end of the week. The club aims to register new signing Pedro Brazão but is currently over the limit of eight foreign players. Benson's contract expires at the end of the current season, and with his recovery expected to take until at least March or April, the team has decided to terminate his contract immediately.

The club's management, along with Sporting Director Lior Rafaelov, is negotiating a financial compensation package with Benson's representatives for the contract termination. While Maccabi Haifa will support Benson through his surgery and rehabilitation process, this assistance will likely occur after he is no longer officially with the club.

Once Benson is released, a foreign player slot will become available, allowing Brazão to be registered with the league's budget control. The team currently has seven other foreign players registered: Jilmar, Lameck Banda, Podrão, Nigel Luvumbo, Cédric D'Almeida, Bruninho, and Andrija Novakovich. Initially, the club considered freezing Benson's contract, but given his long recovery period and the impending contract end, immediate release was deemed the more practical solution.