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Soccer / Fighting starves clubs of foreign players By David Marouani Israeli soccer clubs are finding it increasingly difficult to attract players from abroad due to the outbreak of fighting in the south of the country. Maccabi Tel Aviv, which is desperate to replace its current batch of foreigners, has had offers made to overseas players rejected because of the security situation. Maccabi officials said a deal struck with a defensive midfielder playing for a team in Italy's Serie B was rescinded shortly afterward, because of the player's fear of living in the country. The club is trying to persuade the player and his family that it is safe to live in Israel. Advertisement "Even players with no resume, who we would once easily bring [to Israel], don't want to come here," a Maccabi official said. Ironi Kiryat Shmona has had a Croatian player cancel his arrival in Israel for tryouts because of the fighting. However the club has managed to sign new players from abroad, including Peruvian midfielder Miguel Cevasco. Two other foreigners, Facundo Agruello of Argentina and Paul Kessany of Gabon, are still undergoing tryouts at the northern club. Second-place Maccabi Netanya and its German coach Lothar Matthaus have also successfully signed new foreign players. Midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi, who only recently told the press in his native South Africa that he was not interested in moving to the Diamond City, had a change of heart and has signed with Netanya. Meanwhile, Matthaus married his 21-year-old girlfriend in a wedding in Las Vegas yesterday. It is the 47-year-old's fourth marriage. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Egypt-Syria rift The Gaza situation demands more than a truce. It demands pan-Arab reconciliation. No Talking Livni rejects offer to contact Hamas via Russia for Gaza truce talks.

Read & React Palestinians: Mother, four children killed in IDF Gaza offensive Responses: 256 Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff: Now IDF is getting personal with Hamas Responses: 84 Aluf Benn: Int'l community giving Israel time to weaken Hamas Responses: 15 Gideon Levy: Whose blood is being spilled in Gaza, and why? Responses: 40 Bradley Burston: To win in Gaza, all Israel has to do is survive Responses: 54 More Headlines 00:46 Sarkozy: Hamas to blame for Gaza suffering 00:12 Israeli soldier killed as IDF deepens Gaza ground operation 01:00 'I'm going in,' IDF soldier told mother hours before he was killed in Gaza 22:42 Livni rejects Russian offer to pass messages on to Hamas 20:28 Four lightly wounded as 50 Gaza rockets pound southern Israel 22:23 Dick Cheney: Israel didn`t seek U.S. okay before Gaza invasion 20:28 Palestinians: Mother, 4 children killed in IDF Gaza offensive 19:39 WATCH: Amid Gaza violence, Israeli and Palestinian doctors save baby's life 19:23 Get up to the minute coverage of the warfare in Gaza directly to your email 19:24 Rocket alert sends New York's Bloomberg running for cover in Sderot 15:03 ANALYSIS / Israel's aim in Gaza is to break Hamas resistance 00:13 Greek demonstrators set banks on fire to protest IDF operation in Gaza 20:57 Knesset panel okays call-up of tens of thousands of IDF reservists 17:59 Peres: No Gaza truce right now, Hamas needs a 'real lesson' 01:32 Madoff victims selling memorabilia of disgraced financier on eBay 20:02 Iranian military commander: Cut oil exports to Israel`s supporters 21:01 Shin Bet Chief: Hamas has eased its demands for Gaza truce with Israel 18:55 EU foreign policy chiefs begin mission to seek Gaza cease-fire 18:08 Report: Hamas holding 2 Israeli soldiers; IDF: No knowledge of report 10:30 ANALYSIS / International community giving Israel time to weaken Hamas in Gaza 10:29 ANALYSIS / Solution to Gaza crisis requires pan-Arab effort Previous Editions Select Day 04 jan 02 jan 01 jan 31 dec 30 dec 29 dec 28 dec 26 dec 25 dec 24 dec 23 dec 22 dec

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