The Israeli national football team, a brand that fails overall, received a push forward with an interesting, even brave, decision by the association - to appoint Yossi Benyon as its professional director.
Benyon's appointment precedes the selection of the national team coach himself, and it is a healthy process in which Benyon has something to say about the identity of the next coach, and will not accept him as a parachutist.
When I speak of the courage in choosing a building, I mean that he is not considered a "yes man" of a system, and does not like to bow to his superiors.
We saw it in Maccabi Haifa, in Betar Jerusalem and also in clubs abroad.
He has his own directions and thinking, and it is true that in a state-like state team, with an expanded team, he will also need to know how to listen and learn from others.
Yossi Benyon is celebrating.
Something is going to change, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
My advice to Yossi is to surround himself with quality people like him, as big decision makers in the world do.
If the work environment is level and Benyon knows how to lead but also delegate powers - the players coach will benefit.
Benyon grew up in Israeli football and grew up like many others, out of difficulty.
He had embracing parents in Dimona, whom Dad accompanied closely, but he experienced distress and deprivation - and his way to the top, here, and certainly in Europe, was for him a great school of life.
Beyond his knowledge, acquaintances and connections in Israel and around the world, he also brings personal depth to the team at the age of 42.
His and his teammates' dilemma is to choose the next coach well, and determine if he will be local or foreign.
Precisely in many big teams successful national coaches were not necessarily good league coaches.
For example Yogi Love in Germany or Gareth Southgate, who only coached at Middlesbrough and Young England before accepting her complicated and complicated senior squad, where he has been working for six years.
Yossi has connections and acquaintances with footballers in Spain and England, where he played, and he can consult and bring from there or from another place a coach who is brilliant.
Not a big and expensive name, but a professional who knew how to adapt to the challenging team here.
In Scandinavia, modest teams with reasonable resources thrive.
We once managed to bring in a great Danish coach.
I wish we could bring from this direction.
Yossi Benayoun.
Prestigious position in the Israeli national team, Photo: Danny Maron
And there is also the local supply.
The possible names are familiar to everyone.
Ran Ben Shimon, Roni Levy who is close to the building, maybe Nir Klinger or another name that will surprise from behind.
My forecast?
Benyon, if it depends on him, will choose an Israeli coach he believes in.
Roni Levy is a leading candidate for him.
Yossi will have to work hard to convince the association about Levy, who is far from being a consensus.
In fact, what Israeli consensus here other than Barak Bachar is currently irrelevant?
Coaching the Israeli national team is a good forced occupation history that does not leave pleasant memories for the subject.
After many years, the team has a significant persona.
Hopefully he will bring quite a bit of his creativity as an actor to his new role.
Were we wrong?
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