Dr. Raul Geller (ראול גלר; born 23 January 1936)[1] is a Peruvian-Israeli former professional footballer, who played as a forward, and an orthopaedic surgeon.[2] In Peru he played for Deportivo Municipal, Porvenir Miraflores, and the Peru national football team. In Israel, he is the third -leading scorer of all time of Beitar Jerusalem. His 0.64 goals per game ranks first. He also competed in soccer in the 1969 Maccabiah Games. In 2013, Geller was ranked #161 in the world in 75+ tennis by the International Tennis Federation.

Raul Geller
ראול גלר
Personal information
Date of birth (1936-01-23) 23 January 1936 (age 88)
Place of birth Quillabamba, Peru
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Deportivo Municipal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1956–1957 Deportivo Municipal
1960–1964 Porvenir Miraflores
1965–1969 Beitar Jerusalem
International career
1964 Peru
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Early life

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Geller was born in Quillabamba, Peru.[1] His father Marcus (Mordechai) played football in Poland, and fled it before the Holocaust to Peru.[3] Geller as a child was a member of the youth movements Beitar and HaNoar HaTzioni.[3] When he was 13, he and his family moved to Lima, Peru.[3]

Career

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Geller was a midfielder in football.[1] Geller played football in Peru for Deportivo Municipal (1956–59), Porvenir Miraflores (1960–64), and the Peru national football team (1964) at the 1964 Copa América.[4][5][6]

He emigrated to Israel in January 1965.[3][7] Geller played football in Israel for Beitar Jerusalem (1965–70; scoring 41 goals in 1966–67 and helping the club gain promotion to the Israeli top division).[8][1][4][5][6] In 1971 he returned to the club for half a season.[3] He is the third -leading scorer of all time of Beitar Jerusalem.[9][5] His 0.64 goals per game ranks first.[3]

Geller competed in the 1969 Maccabiah Games.[8] He played football at the 1969 Maccabiah Games for Peru, which came in 8th.[8]

Geller also worked as an orthopaedic surgeon at Hadassah Ein Kerem, specialising in sports injuries.[3][5][10][9]

In 2013, Geller was ranked #161 in the world in 75+ tennis by the International Tennis Federation.[11][6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Raul Geller (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com.
  2. ^ Gillon, Philip (December 1981). "Sportsman with a scalpel". The Jerusalem Post Magazine.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "הדוקטור לשערים שכיכב בבית"ר ירושלים". Haaretz.
  4. ^ a b Seleção brasileira: 1914-2006. Mauad Editora Ltda. 2006. ISBN 9788574781860.
  5. ^ a b c d "Dr. Raul Geller". www.forcefieldheadbands.com.
  6. ^ a b c Neiman, Rachel (2 June 2013). "Footballers in the open market". ISRAEL21c.
  7. ^ "Middle Israel: Why we missed the World Cup". The Jerusalem Post.
  8. ^ a b c "בגובה העיניים עם ראול גלר, אגדה בית"רית" [At eye level with Raul Geller, a Beitarit legend] (in Hebrew). 27 March 2012.
  9. ^ a b Neiman, Rachel (2 June 2013). "Footballers in the open market". Israel21c. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  10. ^ Asa-El, Amotz (27 October 2005). "Middle Israel: Why we missed the World Cup". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Raul Geller," ITF Tennis.
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