Eloge Yao joins Maccabi Petah Tikva on free transfer

Ivory Coast-Italian defender Eloge Yao has joined Maccabi Petah Tikva from Virtus Verona on a free transfer, returning to Israel at the age of 30.

The right-back has signed a contract running until 30 June 2027 and becomes a new defensive option for the Ligat ha’Al club. Yao’s move was completed on 31 August 2026, with no transfer fee attached to the switch from the Italian side.

Yao arrives with previous experience of Israeli football, having made 85 appearances in the Ligat ha’Al. He scored once and provided four assists in those matches, while also featuring in the league’s relegation and championship rounds.

His most recent club was Virtus Verona, whom he joined in March 2026 after a period without a club. He made the move to the Italian side after leaving Hapoel Jerusalem, where he had spent the previous part of his career.

Yao began his senior career in Italy after progressing through the youth systems at Parma and Inter. He joined Inter’s under-19 side in 2013 and later made a loan move to Crotone during the 2015-16 season. That campaign ended with Crotone securing promotion to the first division.

The defender subsequently returned to Inter before joining Swiss club Lugano in 2017. He later played for Reggiana, arriving as a free agent in January 2021, before moving to Hapoel Jerusalem in August of the same year.

Yao has also appeared in Italy’s Serie B, recording 43 appearances and three goals, and played in the Super League on 51 occasions, scoring once and registering two assists. His career has included European experience, with seven appearances in the Europa League.

A right-footed defender standing 1.84 metres tall, Yao adds experience across Italian, Swiss and Israeli football to Petah Tikva’s squad. His arrival also marks a return to the country where he has accumulated the largest number of top-flight appearances in his career.

Yao’s free transfer from Virtus Verona to Maccabi Petah Tikva is complete, with his new contract lasting until June 2027.