Henok Goitom
Eritrean association football player
About Henok Goitom
Born 1984. Henok Goitom is a Swedish association football player and association football coach.
Club career Udinese Goitom moved to Italy in 2004 to join Udinese Calcio, rarely being an option during his short stay. However, in his sole Serie A appearance, on 19 February 2005, he only needed seven minutes as a late substitute to score the 90th-minute 1â1 equaliser against Inter Milan.
Subsequently, Goitom served a two-year loan in the Spanish Segunda DivisiĂłn with Ciudad de Murcia. He netted 15 league goals in his second season.
Murcia Goitom was released by Udinese in 2007, and signed a four-year deal with neighbouring Real Murcia CF for a reported âŹ3 million; the president of UD AlmerĂa, Alfonso GarcĂa, however, announced the club would take matters to court: as he appeared before the media during the presentation of Aitor LĂłpez Rekarte, showed journalists papers which proved an agreement had already been reached between AlmerĂa and Udinese. He only scored twice during the entire campaign, which saw the side relegated from La Liga as last.
In July 2008, Goitom was loaned for one season to fellow top-tier Real Valladolid, which had an option to buy at the campaign's closure. Established as first choice, he netted twice in a 3â2 away win over Recreativo de Huelva on 8 March 2009, but was also sent off during the match (as teammate Ălvaro Rubio). He finished as team top scorer, at ten.
AlmerĂa In late July 2009, Goitom was released by Murcia and joined AlmerĂa in the same league, replacing Sevilla FC-bound Ălvaro Negredo. Also, even though he was the only pure striker in the squad, he was never an undisputed starter, but the Andalusians retained their top-division status in the end.
Goitom scored one of AlmerĂa's most important goals on 19 January 2011, a penalty kick in a 3â2 victory at Deportivo de La Coruña (4â2 on aggregate), with them reaching the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey for the first time ever; he added one more in the competition, against Real Sociedad. However, he again only netted once in the league, in a 2â2 home draw with AtlĂ©tico Madrid, and the club returned to the second tier after four years.
In mid-August 2012, Goitom terminated his contract.
AIK On 16 August 2012, Goitom signed with his hometown club AIK Fotboll in the Allsvenskan. In November 2015, it was announced he would be released when his contract ended on 31 December.
Getafe On 22 March 2016, after being unemployed for almost three months, Goitom agreed to a short-term deal at Getafe CF. He made his debut about a week later, coming on as a second half-substitute in a 2â0 away loss against Rayo Vallecano.
Goitom only totalled 124 minutes of action during his spell, and his team suffered top-flight relegation.
San Jose Earthquakes On 10 August 2016, Goitom joined San Jose Earthquakes on a free transfer. He made his Major League Soccer debut nine days later, coming from the bench in a 1â2 defeat to Houston Dynamo at the Avaya Stadium.
At the end of the season, where he only started in two of his appearances, it was announced that Goitom would not be retained.
Return to AIK On 3 March 2017, Goitom signed a two-year deal with former side AIK, thus returning to his birth country and its main division. In February of the following year, he became team captain.
International career Sweden Goitom was a regular starter for the Swedish under-21 team during 2006, and played for the nation during qualification for the 2006 and 2007 UEFA European Championships. He was never called up to the full side, although he was considered for a place in the squad for a Euro 2016 qualifier against Russia.
Eritrea In September 2015, aged 30, Goitom made an official request to FIFA for permission to play for Eritrea. He made his debut on 10 October, in a 2â0 home loss to Botswana for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He scored in the return leg, in a final 5â1 aggregate defeat.
Coaching career Goitom announced his retirement after the 2021 season, aged 37. On 19 August 2022, he was appointed interim manager of his last club.
On 8 July 2025, Goitom became head coach of Degerfors IF, newly promoted from the Superettan. Five days later, his team lost 3â0 at AIK.
Career statistics Club
International Appearances and goals by national team and year
Scores and results list Eritrea's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Goitom goal. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref 1. 13 October 2015 Francistown Stadium, Francistown, Botswana 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
Honours AIK Allsvenskan: 2018
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Important facts
People in Henok Goitom's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Henok Goitom's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Henok Goitom?
Eritrean association football player
When was Henok Goitom born?
Henok Goitom was born on 22 September 1984 in Solna Municipality.
What is Henok Goitom's occupation?
Henok Goitom is an association football player and association football coach.
What nationality is Henok Goitom?
Henok Goitom is Swedish.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Henok Goitom. https://biography.guide/henok-goitom/
MLA: "Henok Goitom." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/henok-goitom/.
Chicago: "Henok Goitom." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/henok-goitom/.
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