Zohar Gruenberg Signs with Hapoel Petah Tikva Until 2028
Young Defender Continues His Journey with Hapoel Petah Tikva
Hapoel Petah Tikva has confirmed that Zohar Gruenberg, a talented defender born in 2007, will remain with the club as part of the youth team for the upcoming season. Gruenberg has signed a three-year contract that will keep him at Hapoel Petah Tikva until 2028. His representative, Shai Netta, facilitated the signing.
Promising Season for Gruenberg
In the 2024/25 season, Gruenberg made a significant impact in his first year at the U19 level, contributing to the team’s efforts in the youth league. Hapoel Petah Tikva finished in 13th place in the Liga Leumit, marking a challenging season for the club, which they aim to overcome in the upcoming year.
Gruenberg played 32 matches throughout the season, making him the eighth player on the team with the highest number of appearances. He logged 2,756 minutes of play, ranking sixth for total playing time among his teammates. The young defender is versatile, primarily playing as a center-back, but also capable of fulfilling the role of right-back.
Career Development
Originating from Beit Aryeh, Gruenberg began his football journey at the modest youth section of Hapoel M.S. Habel Modiin, where he played from 2018 to 2020. He then had a brief stint in the youth teams of Maccabi Shoham for the 2020/21 season before joining Hapoel Petah Tikva’s youth academy in 2021. Since then, he has amassed a total of 114 appearances for the club.
In the 2023/24 season, while playing for the U17 team, Gruenberg helped the squad advance from the Southern National U17 League to the premier U17 League, notably outperforming Beitar Jerusalem during the process. Additionally, during the current season, he and his teammates made an impressive run to the quarter-finals of the Youth State Cup, ultimately falling to Hapoel Hadera, who was relegated.
As Hapoel Petah Tikva plans to improve their standings and make a stronger showing in the upcoming season, the future looks bright for Gruenberg and the young talents at the club