Midfielder Gadi Kinda departs Sporting KC for Israeli club Maccabi Haifa
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Former Sporting Kansas City midfielder Gadi Kinda is returning to his native Israel to play for Maccabi Haifa.
Maccabi Haifa released a Thursday statement that Kinda will join the three-time defending Israeli Premier League champions in January.
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Kinda was out of contract with Sporting KC at the end of the season, but SKC extended an offer.
The 29-year-old played in 64 matches with Sporting and tallied 14 goals and 16 assists in 3.5 years with the club.
A knee injury kept Kinda out of the 2022 season, and injuries also limited him to 20 matches this past season where he tallied three goals and four assists in 831 minutes.
The Israeli national’s creativity and athleticism helped him stand out on the pitch and will be missed by the double blue.
Kinda’s departure leaves SKC with a Designated Player slot open on the roster.
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Designated Players allow clubs to acquire up to three players whose total compensation and acquisition costs exceed the Maximum Salary Budget Charge, with the club bearing financial responsibility for the amount of compensation above each player’s Salary Budget Charge.
Sporting has lost six players so far this offseason, including longtime stars Roger Espinoza and Graham Zusi, and has signed two to bring onto the 2024 team.
