No matter how the Israeli national team's match up to the age of 19 ends tomorrow against the English national team, the historic illegal immigration, against all odds and without any expectations, for the European Championship final, is the greatest achievement of Ofir Haim and his players.
But despite the history, the youth team is now dreaming big and fantasizing about the unbelievable - being European champions.
The festival around the youth team is something uncommon in our districts, but certainly quite justified in light of the inconceivable achievement.
The phones of the team members do not stop ringing, the Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, personally congratulated Ofir Haim, media interviews, greetings, best wishes and what not.
In between the team should also take care of a briefing and fitness training with the players, which the members of the delegation keep on guard so that they are focused on preparing the team for the historic battle.
Of course the fame goes to the actors who are in the spotlight - Oscar Gluch, El Yam Kanzapolski, Thai Abed, Autumn Lemkin and the rest of the talented bunch, but this achievement would not have happened without the great work of all the behind-the-scenes team such as Yela Jose, Bonnie Ginzburg, and Moshe Sinai, each In his position.
Sinai, 61, is the main scout of all the young teams, and although he went through almost everything in Israeli football, he has never had such a thing.
"Only in 10 or 15 years will we understand what we have done here. I was lucky to be in this place and moment. I hope we do not have to wait so many years again to reach such an achievement," Sinai said in a special interview with Israel Today. And we will have to be humble, keep working hard like we did, leverage it in academia. "
Chinese (left) with Ginzburg and Jose.
"We need to think further,"
How do you really leverage this achievement further?
"I think we need government help, and I'm not just talking about football but all of sports. We need more support and within a state budget it's really nothing. Look how much talk about this achievement, look how much respect it brings. No ambassador can do what "We did it in ten years, and we did it in such a short time. We need to take this matter properly, take care of it properly and promote the sport."
Is there a fear that after the tournament some of the players will not get what in the seniors?
"In this 2004-5 yearbook there are already a number of players playing in their senior team and we see the progress and that is definitely welcome. These kids have proven they need the opportunity but of course it also depends on the teams. There is very good cooperation between our technical department and the teams. "It comes too fast, and we are only at the beginning of the process, but I think all the focus should be on our academy, to train coaches who will promote the players on a daily basis and develop the young players. We need to make a change so that there are no big differences between team and team development."
Kanzapolski makes it difficult for Virginia in the semifinals.
Will receive minutes at Hapoel Tel Aviv ?, Photo: AFP
Qualifying for the Euro final of the youth team has been added to the achievement of the young team, which qualified for the Euro playoffs, and is two games away from Iceland from participating in the European Championship.
Sinai believes that this is not a one-time flicker, but a combination of several things that led to these achievements.
"What happened to the two young teams never happened to us, but it's because the association's chairman, Oren Hasson, his vision was to build from below, the young people, and that's something that never happened," says Sinai and continues,
"Connect to the fact that the yearbooks of the two teams and from what we also see the yearbook 2006 are very talented, add to that all the people who work, the professional manager Yila Hus, Bonnie Gitzburg, Ofir Haim, Yossi Benyon, Alon Hazan, who have a lot of experience. We see the beginning of A change in Israeli football but if we want the serious upgrade we must invest and see what things we need, and maybe I will be corny but I will say it again, I think there should be a state project here and not 0.0086 support, then there will be more resources, more coaches, and all What they need to reach the highest levels "
Tell us a little about the behind the scenes of this team.
"Each of us comes and gives his knowledge and experience to help. He started stuttering a bit against Romania, then moved to Albania and Spain, and France.
We sit once a week the whole team, do tests on players, make comparisons, sit for hours on end all week, and these are things that once gave up and did not check what is good for the team, what is good for these levels, how to do everything properly, but when professionals discuss Professional and without ego, so I'm glad the results came, but to be real, we are only at the beginning and whoever settles for it makes a serious mistake. "
Gluch celebrates with friends against Serbia, Photo: UEFA website
What made you take on this role?
"This is my first time working on player development and scouting. I never wanted to deal with it and turned down all sorts of offers because I realized I could not really help with anything, but once Yela Jose and Bonnie Ginzburg arrived, I saw Oren Hasson's vision, so this time I believed it could be done. "We won and on Friday we are in the final, but there is always the day after, and we also have to think ahead."
How significant is the connection between Ofir and the actors?
"Anyone who does not know Ofir and sees him on the first or second day will think he is a bit strange, but once you know Ow and see how he behaves professionally and how he behaves socially with the actors it is something great and his connection with them is fantastic. Ofir has a huge heart and while "He also improves his movement and has modesty. I told him 'a year ago you were in Afula and now the prime minister is calling you', and it just shows that when you work right things happen. The future is still ahead and I am sure he will reach the levels he wishes for himself."
Finally, are we able to beat England in the final?
"This is a very strong team, on a physical, tactical level, in my opinion they are two levels better than the French team, but we also have something to offer and we also have something to give. In a given game you can always win and I strongly believe. We have already achieved our goal. "A big challenge against England, but if we win the Euro, it will be something that will accompany us all our lives. We are not satisfied with the fact that we have only reached the final."
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