Gai Assulin: What Happened to 'The Israeli Messi'?
The Rise and Fall of Footballer Gai Assulin
There have been many players called ‘the next Lionel Messi’ who never lived up to the hype - and one of the best examples is Gai Assulin.
But what exactly happened to this rising Israeli star? The Sporting Blog tells the full story!
Gai Assulin: Dubbed ‘the Israeli Messi’
The tricky winger was regarded as ‘the Israeli Messi’ when bursting onto the scene for Barcelona as a teenager, but his career at the top level was over almost as soon as it started, ending with him falling out of professional football and being a free agent since 2021.
Assulin had the best football education, developing under a world-class coach with some of the best young talent in Europe, but he left his boyhood club before breaking into the first-team and the decision backfired.
The Israel international had big names on his CV but little playing time. And Assulin never settled at one club before dipping out of the professional game for good.
But what exactly went wrong? The Sporting Blog tells all!
Gai Assulin’s Youth Career
Assulin was born in Nahariya, Israel on April 9, 1991 and joined footballing school Hapoel Haifa (1997 - 1999) at the age of six – a 30-minute drive from his home.
Two years later, the wide-man switched to minnows Beitar Nes Tubruk (1999 - 2003), who were twice the distance as Hapoel and in the fifth tier of Israeli football.
Assulin spent four years at Tubruk Stadium before Barcelona (2003 – 2010) took notice, and his career really kicked off then.
Beitar Tubruk youth coach Shlomo Scharf recommended the 12-year-old Assulin leave Israel to try out for Barcelona, and his parents took the advice.
The hot prospect had a successful trial and was accepted into La Masia.
After two years with the U14s (2003 - 2005), two years with the U16s (2005 - 2007) and one year with the U19s (2007/08), Assulin graduated to Barca’s B team (2007-10) at age 16 and signed a senior contract with a €20m release clause.
In 2007/08, Barcelona’s B team won the fourth division title and manager Pep Guardiola took over the first-team.
Assulin was expected to be one of the players promoted from the youth side, but he had to be patient for an opportunity.
Limited First-Team Opportunities
Months after representing his country for the first time (March 2008), Assulin joined Barca’s senior squad for pre-season over the summer.
He wouldn’t break into the first-team, however, due to stiff competition for places.
Lionel Messi played in 51 games, Thierry Henry played in 42 games, Andreas Iniesta played in 43 games and Pedro played in 14 games, so there wasn’t a spot for Assulin.
And when he picked up a knee ligament injury midway through the 2008/09 campaign, the youngster would be out for the remainder.
Guardiola named Assulin as a substitute in Barca’s 2-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv in September 2009 and handed him his first-team debut a month later, but the Israeli wouldn’t make another appearance for the Catalans, nor would he make the matchday squad again.
Instead, Assulin had to continue playing for the B team with talent such as Jordi Masip, Oier Olazábal, Marc Bartra, Marc Muniesa, Martin Montoya, Sergi Roberto, Oriol Romeu, Jonathan dos Santos, Thiago Alcantara, Nolito, Ruben Rochina and Jonathan Soriano struggling to break through.
Barca had high standards to get in the first-team, and this would lead to Assulin parting company after seven years.
The forward’s three-year deal was up in the summer of 2010 and he would end up leaving by mutual consent. Barca reportedly offered him a new deal until 2013 but couldn’t guarantee first-team football.
While understandably disappointed at the lack of opportunities at senior level, Assulin had no bitterness towards Barca and Guardiola.
“I had a chance of playing in the first team after a great season in the B team. (Pep) trusted me a lot to play. He gave everyone a chance in pre-season and remembers all those players who were with him.
He’s one of the managers who trusted me more than anyone else,” Assulin said in a 2016 ITV Football interview.
Failed Man City Move
Few could blame the Israeli for wanting a new challenge, but his move to Man City didn’t go well.
He joined their reserve team in October, months after the season had already began, and would only feature in three games at U21 level before the campaign came to a close.
Assulin didn’t even make the matchday squad most weeks, so he wasn’t at the level required to be at the Etihad Stadium.
The following season saw Assulin loaned out to Brighton & Hove Albion (2012), making seven appearances. He racked up less than 200 minutes of playing time and missed more games than he featured in, however.
Assulin would leave City that summer and admitted frustration with manager Roberto Mancini for not trusting youngsters enough to play them.
“If Pep had been (at City back then), I would definitely have had a chance. He liked me a lot and likes young players. I was unlucky to have Roberto Mancini as a coach because he didn't like younger players.
He was not willing to give a chance to any of the players and that's a shame,” he said in a 2018 Sky Sports interview.
Nomadic End to Career
Assulin was 21 and without a club following major setbacks at Barcelona and Man City, but he made the surprise decision to join recently-relegated Racing de Santander on a one-year deal in the summer of 2012.
He scored three goals and made two assists in 27 games as Racing were relegated again, leaving for Granada that summer.
Assulin signed a three-year deal at the Nuevo Estadio de Los Cármenes and was immediately loaned to Hércules CF of the Segunda División.
He scored three goals and made one assist in 34 appearances, but the club were relegated at the end of the season.
Granada opted against keeping the Israeli forward for another year, so he joined RCD Mallorca (2014) who were in the second tier.
Assulin managed just seven appearances, spending most of the season on the sidelines, so his time at the Iberostar Stadium was shortlived.
Assulin had a trial with Rangers while a free agent in the summer of 2015, but he didn’t earn himself a contract. He would join Hapoel Tel Aviv on an 18-month deal the following year and he made seven appearances.
Assulin would leave after seven months and joined third-tier Spanish club CE Sabadell FC in August 2016.
He scored three goals in 26 appearances before having his contract terminated by mutual consent in January 2018, and made the surprise decision to go to Kazakhstan.
FC Kairat confirmed the signing of Assulin on a two-year deal in February 2018, but he played just once before having his deal terminated a month later.
In September 2019, the Israel forward went to Romania, signing a two-year deal with Politehnica Iași. He made seven appearances before departing in January 2021.
A month later, Assulin joined Crema – a semi-professional club in the fourth tier of Italian football. He left the club at the end of the season, and it appeared Assulin could call time on his career.
As per a 2021 Guardian interview, the Israeli forward was living in Cheshire with his partner and daughter, coaching and playing five-a-side football.
Assulin joined Serie D outfit Unipomezia in January 2022, but there is no record of appearances and he left at the end of the season. He’s now a free agent but hasn’t retired just yet.
“You get into a moment you can’t find a club – it’s football and it’s happened to a lot of players – so there are a lot of thoughts in your head, naturally, and you think negative things: ‘What should I do? Should I stop?’ But it is not an option for me, as football is everything,” he told the Guardian.
Assulin never reached his potential and will have regret at growing impatient at Barcelona, because he found the grass wasn’t greener on the other side.
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