Orel Dgani Signs One-Year Deal to Stay with Hapoel Petah Tikva

After initially announcing his departure, veteran defender Orel Dgani has reversed course and signed a one-year contract extension with Hapoel Petah Tikva. The 37-year-old, who played over 25 matches last season and helped his teams reach the upper playoff bracket, decided to remain after the club re-entered the picture. Dgani praised coach Omer Peretz as a "football mind" and one of the best managers he has worked with during his long career.

Dgani will join Hapoel Petah Tikva's training camp starting tomorrow. The team, led by Peretz, lost senior Israeli defender Itay Rotman to Hapoel Be'er Sheva, leaving a gap in experienced defensive players. While promising player Ido Tasa is expected to get playing time, Peretz emphasized the need for another seasoned defender.

So far, Hapoel Petah Tikva has signed Roy Sasson, Avishi Cohen, Yazan Nasser, Karim Kimbidi, Harel Shalom, and Guy Badash, and retained Alex Musonda. The team will depart for a training camp in Bulgaria on Sunday, where they will play three matches against two local teams and Bnei Yehuda as part of their preseason preparations.