Bnei Sakhnin Fosters Romanian Football Colony

The Israeli football club Bnei Sakhnin currently features three foreign players from Romania: Raul Bălgrădean, Daniel Paraschiv, and Antonio Sefer. This marks a rare occurrence in the Israeli Premier League, where multiple players from the same nation play together. Bălgrădean, a goalkeeper, was the first to arrive from Otelul Galați, filling a role Sakhnin has not had a foreign player in for many years. The club had hoped Mohamed Abu Nil would succeed Mohamed Kandil, but the coaching staff decided a change in goal was needed this summer.

Forward Daniel Paraschiv joined from Rapid Bucharest shortly before the league's start. Sakhnin sought offensive reinforcement, but Paraschiv's tenure began with an injury. The club hopes he has recovered and anticipates he will soon start scoring.

Antonio Sefer was the last Romanian player to join, completing the "Romanian colony" of three players. He had previously been sought by several Premier League clubs after being relegated with Bnei Reineh, who initially refused to release him. Sefer joined Sakhnin about a month ago, making Romanian the fourth language spoken in the locker room, after Hebrew, Arabic, and English.

Due to the concentration of Romanian players, Bnei Sakhnin is receiving significant attention from the Romanian media. While many Romanian players have played in Israel over the years, the current focus is notably higher. Club officials stated that they decided to sign multiple players from the same country to ease their integration into the team and locker room. Additionally, there are existing connections between Sakhnin's management and Romanian football.