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Nir Bitton

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Nir Bitton
Bitton playing for Celtic in 2017
Personal information
Date of birth (1991-10-30) 30 October 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth Ashdod, Israel
Height 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder, centre back
Team information
Current team
 Maccabi Tel Aviv
Number 55
Youth career
1997–2009 SC Ashdod
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2013 SC Ashdod 123 (14)
2013–2022 Celtic 158 (9)
2022– Maccabi Tel Aviv 31 (1)
International career‡
2008 Israel U17 5 (0)
2009 Israel U18 2 (0)
2009 Israel U19 15 (0)
2010–2013 Israel U21 22 (2)
2010– Israel 39 (3)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Israel
Maccabiah Games
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Maccabiah Football
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 September 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2022

Nir Bitton (or Biton,[2][3][4] Hebrew: ניר ביטון; born 30 October 1991) is an Israeli professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or as a defensive midfielder for Israeli Premier League club Maccabi Tel Aviv and Israel national team.

Early and personal life

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Bitton was born and raised in Ashdod, Israel, to a family of both Sephardi Jewish and Mizrahi Jewish descent.[5] He was enlisted and served as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces.[6]

He married his Israeli girlfriend Bar (née Shimon) in 2014: the couple have two children, Emma and Tom.[7][8]

Club career

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SC Ashdod

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Bitton broke into the senior team of his home-town club SC Ashdod at the age of 17 in an Israeli Premier League match on 25 April 2009, and went on to make over 120 appearances.[9]

Celtic

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On 30 August 2013, Bitton signed a four-year deal with Scottish Premiership club Celtic, for a fee of around £700,000 and a 20% sell-on clause from Israeli Premier League club SC Ashdod.[10]

He made his debut for the club on 18 September, in a Champions League group stage match against AC Milan, coming into the game as a late substitute in the 89th minute.[11][12] Three weeks later he made another Champions League appearance for Celtic, coming as a 77th-minute substitute against Ajax on 22 October, but was sent off eleven minutes later for a late tackle on Thulani Serero.[11] The resulting suspension and a few niggling injuries hindered Bitton's efforts to establish himself in the team,[13] but he still managed to make a total of 20 appearances for Celtic by the end of his first season there.[14] Celtic won their third successive league title, and Bitton's 15 league appearances saw him pick up his first major honour.[13][15]

In the 2014–15 season, Bitton scored in Celtic's first league match of the season from the penalty spot after a controversial red card for St Johnstone defender Dave Mackay.[16] Celtic winger Derk Boerrigter was later given a 3-match ban for simulation.[17] Later in the season, Bitton scored a stunning 30-yard goal against Dundee in a 5–0 win.[18] He scored another long-distance strike on 12 August 2015, netting from 25 yards into the top corner in a 2–2 draw with Kilmarnock.[19]

To begin the 2015–16 season, on 19 August 2015, Bitton scored against Swedish side Malmö FF in a 3–2 win at Celtic Park in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs.[20] On 2 November 2015, Bitton was signed a new contract which would keep him at Celtic until the summer of 2020,[21] and again on 16 December 2019 he extended his contract up to 2023.[22]

On 13 May 2022, Celtic announced that Bitton and teammate Tom Rogic would both be leaving the club after the final game of the season against Motherwell.[23] Bitton said: "When I came to Celtic I never thought I would be part of such exciting times and it truly has been amazing to be part of such a great club. I have worked with some great managers and team-mates and I thank them all for those times and all we achieved together."[24] On his 245th and final game for Celtic, Bitton came on as a substitute for club captain Callum McGregor in the 85th minute, as Celtic ran out 6–0 winners.[25] Rogic and Bitton brought out the Scottish Premiership trophy together, which McGregor then lifted aloft with his departing teammates standing on either side.[26]

Bitton also occasionally captained Celtic.[27][28][29]

Maccabi Tel Aviv

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Bitton with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2024

On 1 July 2022, Bitton joined Israeli Premier League club Maccabi Tel Aviv on a free transfer, signing a two-year contract with an option for a third year. The player thus returned to Israel after spending nine years in Scotland.[30][31]

International career

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Bitton during the 2013 UEFA Under-21 Euros that were hosted in Israel

In 2009, Bitton represented his native Israel at the 2009 Maccabiah Games, and the team won a bronze medal.[32][33] He played for the only Israel U-21 team to qualify for the UEFA European U21 Championship in 2013.[34]

He made his senior debut for Israel in a friendly match against Uruguay on 26 May 2010. Bitton played a major role in qualifying games for the 2016 UEFA Euro Tournament.[35] He scored his first goal for the national team against Andorra in a 4–0 victory On 3 September 2015.[36] Ever since 23 March 2016, Bitton is being used as a second or a third Captain for the senior Israel national team.[37] Bitton debuted as the first Captain of the senior national team, in a 3–2 home win for Israel against Faroe Islands on 15 November 2021 (even after Eitan Tibi, Israel's vice-captain, was substituted in), at the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[38]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of 30 October 2021[39][15][40]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
SC Ashdod[i] 2008–09 Israeli Premier League 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2009–10 Israeli Premier League 20 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 1
2010–11 Israeli Premier League 34 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 34 5
2011–12 Israeli Premier League 36 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 36 4
2012–13 Israeli Premier League 31 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 32 4
2013–14 Israeli Premier League 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 123 14 0 0 1 0 0 0 124 14
Celtic 2013–14 Scottish Premiership 15 0 1 0 1 0 3[a] 0 20 0
2014–15 Scottish Premiership 31 2 5 0 2 0 5[b] 0 43 2
2015–16 Scottish Premiership 30 5 3 0 2 0 11[c] 3 46 8
2016–17 Scottish Premiership 26 1 3 0 2 0 8[a] 1 39 2
2017–18 Scottish Premiership 14 0 1 0 2 0 6[a] 0 23 0
2018–19 Scottish Premiership 7 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 10 0
2019–20 Scottish Premiership 15 0 3 0 2 0 11[d] 0 31 0
2020–21 Scottish Premiership 13 1 0 0 1 0 6[e] 0 21 1
2021–22 Scottish Premiership 22 0 0 0 1 0 5[f] 0 12 0
Total 158 9 19 0 13 0 55 4 245 13
Maccabi Tel Aviv 2022–23 Israeli Premier League 1 0 0 0 0 0 1[41] 0 1 0
Career total 282 23 19 0 14 0 56 4 371 27
  1. ^ National Cup and League Cup appearances for F.C. Ashdod unknown
  1. ^ a b c Appearances in the UEFA Champions League
  2. ^ Two appearances in the UEFA Champions League and three appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Six appearances and two goals in the UEFA Champions League and five appearances and one goal in the UEFA Europa League
  4. ^ Five appearances in the UEFA Champions League and six appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  5. ^ One appearance in the UEFA Champions League and five appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  6. ^ One appearance in the UEFA Champions League and four appearances in the UEFA Europa League

International goals

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Scores and results list Israel's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bitton goal.[35][42]
List of international goals scored by Nir Bitton
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 3 September 2015 Sammy Ofer Stadium, Haifa, Israel  Andorra 2–0 4–0 UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
2 10 October 2015 Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, Israel  Cyprus 1–1 1–2 UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
3 12 November 2021 Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt, Austria  Austria 1–0 2–4 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

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Celtic[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Nir Bitton". Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  2. ^ "football – Nir BITON". www.football.org.il.
  3. ^ "Nir Biton – Celtic Glasgow – Stats – titles won". www.footballdatabase.eu.
  4. ^ "Nir Biton (Israel) - Under-21 - nav_ - UEFA.com". www.uefa.com. Archived from the original on 10 June 2013.
  5. ^ Pilcher, Ross (3 February 2019). "Pals Ofir Marciano and Nir Bitton will finally face each other when Hibs play Celtic". Edinburgh Live.
  6. ^ Dunleavy, Brian P. (22 November 2015). "Meet The 24-Year-Old Celtic Midfielder Who's Been Compared To Sergio Busquets". The18. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  7. ^ "Israeli Celtic star Nir Bitton and his wife subjected to torrent of online abuse". Jewish News. 6 January 2021.
  8. ^ McStay, Kirsten (11 October 2020). "Nir Bitton's wife shares insight into quarantine regime as Celt tackles virus". Daily Record.
  9. ^ "Nir Bitton". Celtic FC. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  10. ^ "Celtic sign Israeli star, Nir Biton". Celtic FC. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  11. ^ a b "Games Involving Biton, Nir in season 2013/2014". FitbaStats. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  12. ^ "0–2 Vs AC Milan in UEFA Champions League (18/09/2013)". FitbaStats. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  13. ^ a b Cully, Ronnie (13 February 2014). "Biton out for Celtic shot at glory". Evening Times. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  14. ^ "Biton, Nir". FitbaStats. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  15. ^ a b c "N. Biton". Soccerway. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  16. ^ Burns, Cheri (13 August 2015). "St Johnstone 0 – 3 Celtic". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  17. ^ "Derk Boerrigter accepts two-match ban for 'simulation'". BBC Sport. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  18. ^ "See Bitton hit wonder goal as Celtic edge closer to title with 5–0 win". STV Sport. 2 May 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  19. ^ Campbell, Andy (12 August 2015). "Kilmarnock 2 – 2 Celtic". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  20. ^ "Celtic on top but Berget gives Malmö hope". UEFA. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  21. ^ "Bitton signs contract until 2020 with Scottish champions". BBC Sport. 2 November 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  22. ^ "Celtic: Nir Bitton signs contract extension until 2023". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  23. ^ Lindsay, Clive (13 May 2022). "Celtic: Nir Bitton & Tom Rogic to leave 'at right time' after nine years at the club". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  24. ^ Coyle, Andy (13 May 2022). "Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton to leave Celtic at end of season". STV News. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  25. ^ Davis, Krishan (14 May 2022). "Celtic 6–0 Motherwell: Player ratings as champions celebrate with thumping win". 90min. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  26. ^ Irvine, David (14 May 2022). "Celtic duo Nir Bitton & Tom Rogic given trophy honour as Champions League theme blared at Parkhead". Glasgow Times. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  27. ^ "Nir Bitton on playing Celtic mentor to 'little boy' Liel Abada as he praises compatriot's impact". Glasgow Times. 31 December 2021.
  28. ^ "Video: Captain Nir Bitton seals the points in Perth". 26 December 2021.
  29. ^ "ניר ביטון: הרצון שלי הוא להמשיך לשחק מעבר לים - ספורט 5". 15 May 2022.
  30. ^ "ניר ביטון סיכם לשנתיים במכבי". מועדון הכדורגל מכבי תל אביב (in Hebrew). 30 June 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  31. ^ McGinley, John (30 June 2022). "Confirmed: Former Celtic midfielder Nir Bitton makes his next move". 67 Hail Hail. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  32. ^ "ההתאחדות לכדורגל בישראל - עמוד משחק". www.football.org.il.
  33. ^ "סגלי נבחרות ישראל לטורניר הכדורגל של המכביה". Israel Football Association. 9 July 2009. Archived from the original on 29 June 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  34. ^ "England Crushed by Israel's Winning Goal in Jerusalem (Video)". Jewish Press. 12 June 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  35. ^ a b "Nir Biton". National Football Teams. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  36. ^ "Israel back on track after Andorra stroll". UEFA. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  37. ^ "ניר ביטון: יש לנו במה להתגאות, הגשמתי חלום". 23 March 2016.
  38. ^ "Match Report of Israel vs Faroe Islands – 2021-11-15 – WC Qualification". Global Sports Archive. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  39. ^ Nir Bitton at Soccerbase
  40. ^ "Nir Biton Israel Football Association profile". Israel Football Association. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  41. ^ One appearance in the UEFA Europa Conference League
  42. ^ "ההתאחדות לכדורגל בישראל – Liel Abada".
  43. ^ "Celtic champions & Hearts relegated after SPFL ends season". BBC Sport. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  44. ^ "Dundee United 1–1 Celtic: Ange Postecoglou's side reclaim league title". BBC Sport. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  45. ^ Celtic win fourth straight Scottish Cup as Hazard's shootout saves break Hearts, Ewan Murray, The Guardian, 20 December 2020
  46. ^ "Rangers 0 – 1 Celtic". BBC Sport. 8 December 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  47. ^ "Hibernian 1–2 Celtic". BBC Sport.
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