Matan Baltaxa joins Austria Wien

Austria Wien signs Matan Baltaxa from the Israeli top club Maccabi Tel Aviv. The 26-year-old defensive player signs a three-year contract with the Violets until the summer of 2025.

"I am very excited about my move to Austria Wien. A big club in Austria awaits me and I am taking the next big step in my career here. Together we want to be successful in all three competitions - league, cup and European Cup - and of course I want to help in the best possible way and be an important part of the team," said Matan Baltaxa.

The left-footer comes from the Israeli city of Shoham and once played in the youth team of Hapoel Petah Tikva. In the summer of 2017, Baltaxa moved to Maccabi Tel Aviv, from where he was loaned out three times: to Hapoel Akko in 2017/18 and to Bnei Yehuda in 2018/19 and 2019/20.

Since the 2020/21 season, Baltaxa has been on duty for his parent club Maccabi Tel Aviv. In total, the defender played 112 games in the Ligat ha'Al, Israel's highest division, as well as 13 matches in the European Cup. In the past season, Baltaxa and Maccabi reached the knockout phase of the Europa Conference League, where they were narrowly defeated by PSV.

On 9 June 2021, he made his debut for the Israeli national team under Austrian team manager Willi Ruttensteiner when he was substituted in the test match against Portugal.

Sporting director Manuel Ortlechner: "With Matan we get a left-footed defensive all-rounder who brings stability and above all variability to our defensive chain. He did a really good job at Maccabi Tel Aviv and has already gained international experience, such as in the Champions League play-off against Salzburg in the autumn of 2020. We are looking forward to his strong attributes in tackling and his offensive drive, which always provides a goal threat."