Lior Asulin

Lior Asulin was an Israeli soccer player in Israel’s national league.

Born in Ra’anana, Asulin grew up playing soccer in the youth system of Maccabi Herzliya and made the jump with the team in 1998 to Israel’s premier league. After two seasons, however, Herzliya was relegated to the second-tier national league.

Courted by several teams before the 2002-03 season, Herzliyah owner Ariel Shaiman loaned Asulin to Maccabi Petach Tikva in the Israeli Premier League. Over the next five years, Asulin would play on loan for Bnei Sakhnin, Betar Jerusalem, and Bnei Yehuda. During his seasons on loan, Lior won the State Cup and established himself as one of the top Israeli strikers in the domestic league.

In June 2007, Asulin signed a four-year contract to play for Hapoel Tel Aviv and later moved to Maccabi Petach Tikva and Hapoel Be’er Sheva. In August 2011, he returned to the national league with Hapoel Ramat Gan and helped the club to become a top league by winning the Toto Cup. He was the team’s leading scorer that season. On June 17, 2012, after being released by Ramat Gan due to poor behavior, he signed a new deal with Hapoel Rishon LeZion. In December of that year, he contributed to the club’s first trophy win by scoring a goal and converting a penalty in the 2012–13 Toto Cup Leumit final.

In August 2011, he returned to the national league with Hapoel Ramat Gan and helped the club secure promotion to the Premier League by winning the Toto Cup. He was the team’s top scorer that season.

On June 17, 2012, after being released by Ramat Gan for poor behavior, he signed a new contract with Hapoel Rishon LeZion. In December, he helped the club win its first trophy when he scored a goal and a penalty in the 2012–13 Toto Cup Leumit finals.

On October 7, 2023, Asulin was attending the Nova music festival in Re’im when the Palestinian terror group Hamas launched an attack on the festival during the first day of the Gaza war. He was among the 347 civilians killed during the attack.

Sources: Jews in Sports.
Wikipedia.
“Lior Asulin, 43: Ex-soccer player killed celebrating his birthday,” Times of Israel, (October 18, 2023).