Tomer Chencinski has now officially put pen to paper on a two and a half year contract with a club option for the 2015/2016 season after a few days of negotiations in Tel Aviv, Israel. Orebro SK and Maccabi Tel Aviv announced a few days earlier that the clubs had agreed on the transfer terms, but there was still a lot left to do regarding medical testing, personal terms and setting up other loose odds and ends like banking, apartment hunting and immigration documentation.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for Tomer to come to Israel's most accomplished club and also current league leaders with a very good chance to compete in either UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa Cup," says Stone Sports Management's President and Players' Agent Justin Stone. "The situation is very favorable for Tomer to come into the squad with time to acclimate himself to a new competition and put himself in a position to be the number one goalkeeper for next season after Nigerian International Vincent Enyeama returns from his loan stint from French club Lille." Here is Chencinski putting pen to paper on his new contract:
In addition, the 6 foot 3 inch Canadian-Israeli-Polish Goalkeeper will be in a position to immediately showcase his talents once the January 9, 2013 transfer window opens during the next month or so with Enyeama leaving the club to participate in the 2013 African Cup of Nations Tournament. Tomer will be competing with Israel's U21 GK Barak Levi who will ge the initial call for Maccabi Tel Aviv's January 5, 2013 league game due to Tomer's inability to register prior. Here is Chencinski and Stone at the Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Haifa league match where the home side emerged victorious in a 6-2 goalfest:
It is clear that Tomer's hard work has been paying off as Tomer has risen from USL Pro's Harrisburg City Islander's back up goalkeeper in January 2011 to a Maccabi Tel Aviv member in two years which included two transfers into the six-figures. It has been a great 24 months for Tomer, and he now has greater resources to continue his rise in European football.
Stone Sports Management would like to thank the many Maccabi Tel Aviv club personnel for being such great hosts and for their professionalism. Stone Sports Management would also like to thank Sami Salonen for all of his help and great work while Tomer was abroad in Scandinavia.
This was not the only encouraging news for Tomer during the past week. The Canadian and Israeli National Teams each called Tomer into an upcoming camp or match. The Canadian National Team will participate in a 10-day camp from January 20-30, 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona and Houston, Texas that includes games against Denmark on January 26, 2013 and against the United Stats of America on January 29, 2013. However, the Israeli National Team will participate in a friendly match at a TBD in late January 2013.
Although each call-up will not officially bind Tomer to either country, it does suggest that Tomer will have to decide his international future in the next months whether to play for the country he was born and raised until age 8 as well as the country he will be playing club football for the next 30 months or does he play with the team he grew up during his teenage and adult years where he developed most as a footballer?
Keep track of Tomer's progress and enjoy some of the articles associated with his signing:
Maccabi Tel Aviv Official Website "Chencinski Transfer From Orebro Agreed"
RedNation's "Tomer Checinski Transfers to Maccabi Tel Aviv"
Israel's One "Tomer Chencinski: I will give the coach a headache"
Israel's Sport 5 "Chencinski Signs, Enyema's Replacement"