On Tuesday night, a special memorial match was held in honor of Lior Asulin, who was murdered at the Nova music festival three years ago. Hosted by Bnei Sakhnin at Doha Stadium, the match pitted a team of Asulin’s close friends and family against players from Sakhnin's historic State Cup-winning squad, in which Asulin starred. Among the most recognizable figures arriving to pay tribute was his former strike partner Gabriel Lima, who made the journey all the way from Brazil to honor his friend.
Just before kickoff, Lima sat down with Walla Sport to reflect on life after soccer, his enduring bond with Asulin, and the unforgettable nickname that still follows him in Israel.
How are you doing?
"Very excited."
Unbreakable bond on and off the pitch
How was contact made for you to come to the match?
"Yasser from Sakhnin is in constant touch with me. He called and told me there was a match in memory of Lior, and I didn't even wait - I immediately said to him: 'Yes, I'm coming.' Even before that, I had mentioned several times that I wanted to come to a match in Lior's memory, so the moment they told me about it, I had no doubt that I was getting on a plane and coming."
You were one of the most memorable duos in Israeli soccer.
"Lior and I only played together for one year, but it felt like ten seasons together. Lior knew my movement perfectly, and I knew his. We had perfect synergy. He was without a doubt the player I enjoyed playing with the most. We were a deadly front trio together with Rafi Cohen."
You also have a joint nickname.
"I've been to Israel three times since retiring, and this is the fourth. Every time I walk around Sakhnin, nobody calls me Gabriel or Lima - everyone shouts 'Asulima' at me."
How emotional is this match for you?
"Very, very emotional. I'm happy to be here to commemorate Lior. Beyond being a professional player, he was a very, very good friend of mine."
Tell us a bit about your connection.
"Lior was the most joyful person I ever knew. He was always happy and always radiated joy. It was fun being around him."
Did you stay in touch?
"Not always, but after we won the Cup, Lior came back with me to Brazil and stayed at my place, and it was incredible fun. But Lior had a huge heart. In the middle of the visit, he was told there was some issue in Israel with a family member. He didn't wait a second - he left Brazil and went back to handle it."
The painful news and bringing footvolley to israel
How did you hear about his murder?
"Eyal Lachman called me and said, 'Did you hear what happened to Lior?' I told him no, and then he told me. I couldn't stop crying. It still hurts me today. I was in shock and just cried and cried."
Have you spoken with the family?
"I occasionally get to speak with Moran (Asulin's ex-wife). I also promised her that I would come to see the kids this week. I'm very emotional about seeing his mother and his family today."
What are you doing these days?
"I work with politicians and am also involved in sports like footvolley."
Footvolley has become a huge sport here.
"I'm the one who brought it to Israel. In 2002, I played at Gordon Beach. People didn't know what it was and would ask me what kind of game it was, and today it's popular here too."
Do you still play soccer?
"Only with friends."
Should we expect a good performance from you in this game?
"I must score. I must score for Lior."