The team built by Herzog and Rotensteiner continues to ruin the plans for the association • Berkowitz could have adapted if only he had expressed interest in coaching as he is interested in team management • And without getting into the debate "who is the greatest player in history", clearly we did not have like Zahavi
The team players celebrate with Zahavi against Slovakia
Photography:
Reuters
Rotensteiner briefs the team players.
There is a method and a way
Photography:
Maor Alexelsi
And again, like a pagan ritual, the Football Association's activists are scrambling to find a new coach for the Israeli national team.
"Rotensteiner failed, it's time to give an Israeli coach a chance," they say anonymously, because they are probably anxious for their good name if they say it directly and out loud.
Will any of them ever offer to discuss the issue transparently, so that even the fans of the Israeli national team and football understand the set of considerations that will lead to the decision?
Can we ever know what constitutes success or failure for them, or as Erez Edelstein said - disappointment?
So true, we are not up for the euro, but it is already a regular matter.
This has not happened for 50 years, and due to the deep and rooted problems of Israeli football, it does not seem to qualify for a big tournament in the foreseeable future even if we fly forward in the time machine.
This is as long as people like Stern Haluba and the rest of the activists who work in the dark and under the radar will run our national football.
Rotensteiner. Needs more time // Photo: Reuters
And how can you even know what the criteria are for choosing a coach for the team?
After all, when Andy Herzog ended his contract and the association wanted to dump Rotensteiner as well to save a few pounds, they convened the search committee of which he was a part.
And just before he leaves they decided to make an unusual deal: he can lead the team against Scotland in cross-country and League of Nations games, because he is on the payroll anyway and has no chance of succeeding, then we will bring in another coach.
A truly ingenious plan, at the strategic and tactical level, as all the other plans that came out of the windows of Baba Hillel's offices have proven themselves.
Only something went wrong with their plans.
It started with Herzog, continued with Rotensteiner and made this team one that is fun to watch.
Not because football is total, offensive and ongoing, but mainly because you have seen a team of players giving blood on the pitch, and in a large part of the games also know what it needs to do.
This has not happened since the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign. Try to remember the campaigns of Eli Gutman, Elisha Levy and Dror Kashtan - in how many games did you get upset and thought that players come to the team and do good?
Not that the Austrian team was flawless, especially in insisting on some players whose future is already behind them and the need to inject more new blood into some positions - just as the exchanges proved yesterday in the second half against Slovakia, but the bottom line was a fun team to see, Israeli society in all its sectors.
Berkowitz. The desire is not enough // Photo: Udi Citation
2. On Tuesday, Eyal Berkovich sat in the "Sports News" studio and interviewed Monas Dabour and Eran Zehavi, a moment after they had completed and embraced.
"You need a coach who will not tell you to make a defense, but only concentrate on the attack," the campaigner presented the main points of his plan towards Dabour, and for long minutes slaughtered the current coach, receiving help from the company's magician, Guy Cohen.
I would be willing to accept this passion of the magician to coach the team if he had proven since retiring even a pinch of desire to be a coach.
It did not happen.
From the moment he retired, he became much more interested in team management - in Nesher, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Rishon Lezion.
There is no question about his greatness as a player, the rare game vision and the huge places to which he has led his career.
All this does not guarantee anything for the role of coach.
It is a Sisyphean and long process, with lots of steps until you reach success.
Even if it is a team that meets once every few months, it is impossible to jump straight to the position of coach of the national team.
Yogi Lev received the German national team after mileage in teams in Germany and Turkey.
Berkowitz on the lines is something romantic, a total football in a 4-2-2 formation. Unfortunately, it is not really suitable for the infrastructure and the squad of players that Israeli football has to offer.
Were better than him. Not as good as him // Photo: Maor Alexelsi
3. There is no point in getting into an argument about who is the greatest Israeli player in history.
Everyone is in a position of sympathy for the team and then when it comes to the team it is difficult to neutralize it and decide who is the greatest of them all.
There is the Benyon school, others will say Ohana and there are of course the supporters of Berkowitz, Revivo and Nemani.
Therefore, we will define Eran Zehavi as the greatest killer in the history of Israeli football.
Try to remember another player in blue and white who in less than 25 minutes can score one with a shot, a second on the left and a third with a 20-meter missile on the right foot under the Slovak mezuzah.
Even one missed penalty can't change the big picture.