Name: Danny Pinto
Age: 34
Originally From: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Position: Central Defender
Squad number: 2
Team He Supports: AFC Ajax
Football Idol: Dennis Bergkamp
Did You Know: Pinto once received a red card after 5 minutes of a Liga Gimmel match because he tried to save a goalbound shot with his hands!!
‘’I was born and raised in the Netherlands, and as a Jew in Amsterdam, it was obvious that I would follow AFC Ajax, whom I continue to support to this day. I was very involved in the local Jewish community back home, participating in activities and learning about Israel.
''I studied my BA degree in Amsterdam and started working shortly after. However, I had this urge to move to Israel and after years of deliberation, I finally made Aliyah in 2015 at the age of 29. The decision to come here to the Jewish homeland has been the best one of my life; mainly because it was here that I met my wife Gal (whom I married in September 2016). We currently live in Even Yehuda with our beautiful son Gabriel.
Danny playing in Liga Gimmel (top row, third from the left)
''In terms of football, I have been playing since I was a young boy back in the Netherlands, so when I made Aliyah I was keen to get involved playing in some way or another. Through Facebook, I came across Inter Aliyah and it seemed the perfect team for me since I was a new Oleh to Israel at the time.
''Arriving at the team, I saw guys from all over the world who had moved to Israel and were playing together under the same colours. The team is one big family, despite the different nationalities and cultures, and I immediately became very attached to the group.
''I joined Inter Aliyah just after I got married in the summer of 2016, just in time for us to compete in our first-ever Liga Gimmel season. I played for two seasons at the back but then commitment to training sessions became an issue for me as my family started to grow.
''Luckily for me, Inter B was created in 2018 and I was able to carry on playing within the Inter Aliyah family on Saturday evenings. I've been wearing the blue and white Inter Aliyah shirt for four years now and feel incredibly connected to this wonderful team and inspiring project.
''Danny.''