Gai Assulin

Infobox Football biography
playername = Gai Assulin
גיא אסולין


fullname = Gai Yigaal Assulin
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1991|4|9
cityofbirth = Nahariya
countryofbirth = Israel
height = height|m=1.76
position = Attacking Midfielder / Winger
currentclub = FC Barcelona
clubnumber = TBA
youthyears = 1999–2003
2003-2007
youthclubs = Beitar Nes Tubruk
FC Barcelona Juvenil A
years = 2007-
clubs = FC Barcelona B
caps(goals) = 25 (9)
nationalyears = 2008-present
2008-present
nationalteam = Israel U21
Israel
nationalcaps(goals) = 3 (0)
1 (0)
pcupdate = 15:56, 18 May 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 22::01, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

Gai Yigaal Assulin ( _he. גיא אסולין, _en. Guy Assulin; born April 9, 1991 in Nahariya) is an Israeli professional football (soccer) player who plays for FC Barcelona.

Career

Barcelona

Assulin started his career in the Beitar Tubruk youth ranks, in 2003, when he was just 12, his team coach back-then Shlomo Scharf, proposed Gai's parents to consider taking their young prospect to try out for Barcelona's youth ranks, they did, and Gai was accepted.

On August 2007, Assulin graduated to the FC Barcelona B team, and was offered a new contract, a senior contract (a contract granted only after the player turns 16) for another 3 years and a €20M buy-out clause after much speculation had linked him with a host of top clubs including Chelsea, Milan, Manchester United and Arsenal. At the end of the 2007-08 season, FC Barcelona B won the league title with 83 points, just one ahead of Sant Andreu. The manager, Josep Guardiola, was promoted to the job of senior team manager. Gai Assulin was rumored to be one of the players that Guardiola would promote to the first team. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title=גיא אסולין וברצלונה ב' זכו באליפות |url=http://www.one.co.il/Article/116261.html |format= |work= |publisher=One.co.il |location= |id= |pages= |page= |date=2008-05-18 |accessdate=2008-05-18 |language=Hebrew |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= ]

On September 5 2007, when he was only 16-years old, Assulin made his senior debut with the first team against Girona FC in the semi-final of the Copa Catalunya, entering in the 46th minute of the game. [ [http://www.gaiassulin.com/gaivideos10.htm GaiAssulin.com] ] [ [http://www.fcbarcelona.cat/web/english/futbol/temporada_07-08/arxiu_partits/copa_catalunya/semifinals/Girona_Barcelona/partit.html FCBarcelona.cat ] ]

National team

Gai was called up by the Israel national football team for their friendly match against Chile in 2008. He debuted for Israel by replacing Yossi Benayoun in the 78th minute of the friendly. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title=שמרו על התואר |url=http://football.nana10.co.il/Article/?ArticleID=545980&sid=160 |format= |work= |publisher=Nana.co.il |location= |id= |pages= |page= |date=2008-03-26 |accessdate=2008-05-18 |language=Hebrew |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= ] By playing in this match, he broke Ben Sahar's record for youngest national team debut by 195 days. [cite news |first=Allon |last=Sinai |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title=Assulin to make debut against Chile |url=http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1206446105724&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |format= |work= |publisher=The Jerusalem Post |location= |id= |pages= |page= |date=2008-03-26 |accessdate=2008-05-18 |language= |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= ]

Honours

* With FC Barcelona B:
** Tercera División Group 5 (1): 2007-08

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.gaiassulin.com/ The official website of Gai Assulin]
* [http://www.fcbarcelona.com/web/english/futbol/temporada_07-08/futbol_base/FCB_B.html 07-08 Barcelona B squad list at official site]