Israeli Goalkeeper Nikita Haikin Faces Bayern Munich After Tumultuous Year
Nikita Haikin, the sole Israeli player in the Champions League, is set to face Bayern Munich with his team Bodo/Glimt. The Norwegian club, which reached the round of 16 last season, will play their opening match of the new campaign at the Allianz Arena.
Haikin, 31, born in Netanya to Russian-Israeli parents, has had a challenging year. After years of playing in Israel for clubs like Bnei Yehuda and Hapoel Kfar Saba, he joined Bodo/Glimt in 2019. He was instrumental in their historic Champions League playoff victory over Inter Milan last season.
This past year, however, saw his dream of playing for Norway in the World Cup dashed. Despite obtaining Norwegian citizenship in April after seven years in the country, and expressing pride in his new home, he was not selected for the national team. This decision came after a significant public debate and a poor performance in a league match where he admitted to being distracted by the pressure, leading to a 5-0 loss.
Further complicating matters, two investigative reports were published in April concerning Haikin and his father. One alleged that Haikin failed to properly report income and benefited from tax havens, while the other accused his father of fraud and money laundering in Russia. Haikin strongly refuted these claims, calling them out of context and defending his family.
Adding to his disappointment, FIFA denied his eligibility to play for Norway until March 2028, effectively ending his World Cup aspirations for this cycle. Despite these setbacks, Haikin is determined to perform well on the Champions League stage against Bayern Munich, aiming to prove his resilience.
