Soccer Star Leaves Premier League to Honor Shabbat

For thirty years, Yair Azoulay (age 39) was a familiar face on the soccer field, living and breathing the sport. He started playing as a child for Hapoel Ashdod and, after turning 18, went on to play for Hapoel Kfar Saba, Raanana, and Bnei Yehuda, even reaching the finals of the State Cup and making a historic appearance in the UEFA Cup. Most recently, he served as the captain of Hapoel Ashkelon and led the team to incredible achievements.

"In the past two years, we broke amazing records," he shares. "When I joined Ashkelon, the goal was to make it to the Premier League within five years, but we moved up two leagues in less than two years. It felt like a dream. We were overjoyed, and we couldn’t believe what we accomplished."

But just as the team reached the Premier League and Azoulay was enjoying the peak of his career, he shocked everyone with a surprising announcement: "I’ve decided to step away from the Premier League. I don’t want to break Shabbat."

For the Sake of Shabbat

Many people wondered if this was a sudden spiritual awakening. But Azoulay explains that the connection to Judaism was always there. "I grew up in a traditional home. When I was five and a half, my father was killed in the Lebanon War. My mother was just 23 with three young children, me and my two younger brothers. She never remarried and always hoped I would go to synagogue, take my brothers with me, make Kiddush, and be a good person who influences others for the better."

His connection to Shabbat started from childhood, but as he grew older and soccer became his career, he often had to play on Shabbat. "Especially in the Premier League, games are scheduled on Shabbat afternoons. Even when games were after Shabbat, I still had to travel and prepare during Shabbat. It really weighed on me."

The Turning Point

The final push came after a game between Ashkelon and Rishon LeZion. "I needed to drive during Shabbat, so instead I chose to stay at a friend’s house. After that game, I said to myself: no more. I want to keep Shabbat properly. I want to go to Mincha, enjoy the third meal, hear a Torah lesson, daven Maariv and just be home with my wife and children on Shabbat. That’s what made my decision clear."

Letting Go of a Dream

It wasn’t easy. "My two years at Hapoel Ashkelon were dream years. We had huge success, between 80 and 90 games with more than 95% wins. I was team captain, the fans loved me, and it felt like a family. When I told my teammates, I said, ‘I feel like I’m leaving my brothers.’"

The reaction from the club was emotional. His teammates begged him to stay, and the management called him “the beating heart of the club.”

"But I’m a grown man," he says. "I made this decision wholeheartedly. I asked my rabbi, Rav Avraham Maman from Yavne, and he told me that if I had another option, I should leave. So I found one and I moved to the National League, which doesn’t play on Shabbat. This way I can continue playing without compromising my faith."

A Player Who Wore Tefillin

Another reason the decision was hard? "For the past two years, I brought my tefillin with me to practice every day. I put them on myself and helped five or six other players do the same. We'd put on tefillin, drink coffee, and then head to practice."

Looking back, Azoulay feels the team’s success came from more than just talent. "Maybe it was because of the tefillin. We had help from Above." And now that he’s leaving, he’s making sure his teammates will still have tefillin available even when he’s not there.

So you won’t see Yair Azoulay in the Premier League anymore. But he emphasizes that stepping away was the right thing. "Since making this choice, I’ve received so much support from the public. Every moment confirms it was the right path."

And he adds with deep sincerity, "Sure, I could’ve said I was leaving because of contract issues or other reasons. But I wanted to say the truth: I left because I want to keep Shabbat. It was important for me to say that because who knows? Maybe hearing about this will inspire someone else to come closer to Shabbat too."