Israel’s Yonatan Cohen joins Melbourne City
The announcement, made on the final day of the player transfer window, will make Cohen the first Israeli since Tomer Hemed in 2022 to play in Australia’s top professional men’s league.
Melbourne City announced on Monday night it had signed 28-year-old Maccabi Tel Aviv goalscoring winger Yonatan Cohen on a one-year deal, just a month before the new A-League Men season starts, to sharpen their attack.
The announcement, made on the final day of the player transfer window, will make Cohen the first Israeli since Tomer Hemed in 2022 to play in Australia’s top professional men’s league.
Cohen, who arrived in Melbourne last weekend with his wife Roni and their seven-month-old daughter Emily, expressed his excitement about playing football Down Under.
“When I heard about the opportunity to join Melbourne City, I didn’t hesitate,” Cohen said.
“The club has a strong culture of success and I’m confident I can bring my experience and skills to help build on that.
“I’m excited to play in front of the [Melbourne City] fans and contribute to the exciting football this team is known for.”
On Tuesday, via Instagram, Cohen summed up his move in one sentence: “New beginning, new challenge, happy to be here!”
In his five seasons with Maccabi Tel Aviv – in between stints with two other Israeli clubs – Cohen was part of a yellow and blue squad that won three Israel Premier League Championships, including the latest one.
In his time there, he scored 41 goals in 157 appearances across all competitions and he scored five goals in his 26 games for Israel’s national men’s team.
He joins Melbourne City following a challenging season personally, having played in only 15 games and scoring one goal, but feels motivated to make an impact for his new club.
Melbourne City’s director of football, Michael Petrillo, said, “Yonatan’s ability to influence games with his creativity, vision and goal-scoring ability, adds another dimension to the team.
“We believe he’ll prove to be a great asset to our squad.”
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