Egyptian Defender Unaware of Israeli Teammate Ahead of Move to Bulgarian Club Ludogorets

Egyptian national team defender Hossam Abdelmaguid is close to transferring to Bulgarian club Ludogorets Razgrad, which will face Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Conference League qualifiers starting July 23. Despite last-minute interest from Romanian club Cluj, sources in Bulgaria and Egypt believe the deal will be finalized soon. However, a surprising claim emerged in Arab media that Abdelmaguid was unaware Ludogorets has an Israeli player, Idan Nachmias, on its roster. According to "Aram News," based in the UAE, a source familiar with the negotiations said Abdelmaguid only learned about Nachmias after signing the contract and reaching an agreement with Egyptian club Zamalek, leaving him no opportunity to address the issue beforehand.

Egyptian newspaper Al-Watan highlighted that this revelation could create an early challenge for Abdelmaguid, who may be required to play alongside an Israeli player, which could be problematic given the political sensitivities. Nachmias joined Ludogorets last summer on a free transfer from Maccabi Tel Aviv and is contracted until 2028, with no plans to leave. Abdelmaguid has already appeared twice for Egypt in the World Cup, including playing 53 minutes against Australia in the round of 32 and scoring the decisive penalty in the shootout that advanced Egypt to the round of 16.

The key question remains whether Abdelmaguid will agree to play against Hapoel Tel Aviv, contingent on the timing of his transfer before the first leg on July 23. The situation underscores the complex intersection of sports and politics in international football transfers involving Israeli and Arab players.