Hazan Lemoed: Alon Hazan's moment of truth as coach of the Israeli national team

The national coach - and not Yossi Banyon - is the one who decided regarding the saga of Eran Zahavi and the summoning of Omer Azili, despite the achievements of Oren Hasson.

Now he faces his first big test.

And also: how did the national team become "two countries for two peoples"?

Moshe Booker

09/23/2022

Friday, September 23, 2022, 3:00 p.m. Updated: Saturday, September 24, 2022, 2:25 p.m.

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Alon Hazan is a guest on the program Seara in the kingdom, part 1 (Sport1)

Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in his impressive speech at the United Nations on Thursday that he supports two states for two peoples. Even before he finished the speech (and after), Prime Minister Lapid received sharp criticism from the right. Lapid's statement occupied (and will continue to occupy) the media for a long time (At least until the elections). The truth is, I really don't understand what all the commotion is about. The Israeli national team is preparing for one of its most fateful matches, and our small country has already divided into two countries and two peoples. Those who are in favor of calling up Omar Atzili to the national team, and those who are against, those who supported the decision To prevent Eran Zahavi from being in a room alone in the chosen hotel, and those who objected and attacked non-stop. The division was clear: one country Maccabi Haifa fans, another country Maccabi Tel Aviv fans. Here too, as in politics, each side had an army of journalists, presenters, commentators, PR "Nim and opinion leaders.

Only the words right and left changed to Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The match against Albania will have 28,000 spectators, most of them Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.

Apparently they are all from one country, but in fact both camps gave the impression that they came from two countries.

Overall, Maccabi Haifa fans supported Azili's call-up and celebrated the crisis with Zahavi, and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans did exactly the opposite.

Precisely during one of the best periods of the national team, the team's fan base (if there is such a thing), became a player's base.

Players who play for their team, and those who play for the arch rival.

Yossi Benyon suffered curses from Maccabi Haifa fans in the national team match against Albania, Eran Zahavi suffered curses from Maccabi Haifa fans, in the same famous match where he threw the captain's armband.

National team players have received curses from fans of a rival team in the past (Moshe Sinai, Shimon Gershon for example), but the recent reality regarding rivalry between fans in national team games, no longer starts on the field, but much earlier.

And the media, as usual, pours oil on the fire and ignites the fire.

And everything begins and ends according to the personal sympathy of each of them.

Not for the national team, for the group of course.

Since two of the soccer lions, Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv, have long since ceased to be in the major league, the rivalry is back to being between Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans. And vice versa. The feeling of players in the national team, those representing Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv, that the crowd in the stands (not all) does not want the team to succeed if, for example, the opposing player is the one to score the winning goal.

Division in the stands?

Israel national team fans (photo: Danny Maron)

One of the first goals of Yossi Benyon and Alon Hazan was to return the team to the people.

In the conversations they had before and after the appointment of Hazan as coach, they emphasized the importance of returning the fans to the stands, and above all, restoring the trust of the fans.

From a professional point of view, Benion and Hazan are a success story (for now), but as far as the fans are concerned, the story is lost, especially because most of the calls to the national team are for players from Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Each of the fans comes with his own direction, his perception, his love, and especially his hatred for the opposing players.

Mainly for the stars.

The great luck of Banyon and Hazan is that this hatred of the fans for the players of the rival, the hatred for them, does not permeate the players.

The players in the national team have no hatred, nor personal rivalry.

There is a sporting rivalry, and it's a good thing, but the Israeli national team does not have an infrastructure of camps based on hatred because they are rivals in the league.

It will be interesting to see how the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will receive Atzili: will the fact that he, unlike other stars who were thrown from their team and did not abandon it in favor of the arch-rival, help him against the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans?

It will be interesting to see.

The battle in the stands will be just as intriguing as the game on the grass.

The game against Albania could seal our fate regarding joining the euro, but in other ways, the fight to divide the country has already been decided.

We have two countries for two peoples, no one can stop this division anymore.

It is a fait accompli.

It hurts, but there is no way back from it.

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How will he be received?

Atzili (Photo: Maor Alxalsi)

And there is also a game.

After the Eran Zahavi festival ended (at least for now), Yossi Benyon and Alon Hazan did everything to bring the players back to the real thing - a victory over Albania.

The two did not mention the former national team captain affair, but in meetings and conversations with the players, Hazan demanded that they ignore background noises and concentrate only on the game.

Benion did the same.

Both know that advancing to the playoffs will forget the Zahavi and Hader affair, while a loss to Albania will bring back the media storm and Benion will absorb the brunt of the fire.

The decision to prevent Eran Zahavi from being in a room alone in the hotel was made by the cantor and not by Benion.

The professional manager only overwhelmingly supported the coach.

After all, in the conversation that Hazan and Zahavi had in the House of Representatives in Shafiim, Zahavi presented his demand to be in the room alone and at the same time Hazan already replied in the negative.

Benyon was not present at the meeting.

The coach made the decision, but the media presented an image that the professional manager was the one who decided.

Banyon against Zahavi provokes a bigger media storm, much more than Zhanz against Zahavi.

It's more familiar, it brings more ratings, it's very juicy.

Despite all the attempts by mediators, businessmen, team owners, business owners and journalists (how not), Hazan outright rejected any compromise proposal that came up (and it's a good thing), and Benion continued to back the coach he himself appointed.

You have to know Alon Hazan very well to understand that there was no chance of a compromise on the Zahavi issue and the room.

His appointment as the coach of the national team was not expected.

He was not next in line, according to the established procedure in the association - he did not win the championship, nor the state cup, he did not even lead a team to the European League.

The appointment of Hazan surprised many, but it did not cause a stir and was even received positively by many in the football world.

In a miraculous way, even among most journalists and commentators.

Hazan was not the next in line, but he is the only appointment of one who rose from below.

in all teams.

The combination of someone who grew up in the neighborhood in Ashdod, along with the experience he gained over many years coaching young national teams, helped him not to deviate from his principles, to stick to the same line he guided himself.

In today's world where stigmas play a central role, it is difficult for Alon Hazan to convince the media and sports fans that he is the owner of the team in the professional field.

The feeling of many (especially after the Zahavi affair) is that Benion is not only a professional manager, but actually also the head coach of the national team.

When all the television and radio studios conduct non-stop discussions about Banyon's "decision" to prevent Zahavi from being in the room alone, and basically broadcast to everyone that Banyon does not want Zahavi on the team, they broadcast that the professional authority on the team is not coach Hazani at all.

the decision maker.

Cantor (Photo: Udi Tsitiat)

You need not only to know the personality of Hazan, but also to know significant details that happened behind the scenes in the last few weeks.

The decision to summon Omar Azili was made by the cantor alone.

He knew exactly what the chairman of the association Oren Hasson thought. He knew very well what the summons of Atzili would do. Hazan informed the chairman of the association about the decision he had made regarding Atzili.

If it was up to Hassan, the Maccabi Haifa star would not have received a summons.

The national coach knew that he was building on him not only the sports media, but also a pile of politicians and various associations.

But Hazan went with his professional decision to the end.

For several weeks, the coach knew that he would call up Azili.

He was under heavy pressure not to call up the Maccabi Haifa star, the one who signed two championships in the last two years, the one who is in the best shape in Israeli football.

It is hard to see another coach (also veteran and with many titles) who would not raise his hands, but Hazan was determined and went with his truth.

The fact that the chairman of the association and the team's professional manager are not enthusiastic about the decision, did not make him change his mind.

Hazani also made the decision to prevent Mezavi from getting a room by himself in the hotel, knowing that Oren Hasson would not like it.

I know many senior coaches with the image of Germans who would not invite Azili to the national team, nor would they prevent Zazavi from sleeping alone.

You can agree with Hazan's decisions, and you can not.

But it is impossible not to appreciate his ability to ignore background noise, the opinion of his superiors, and above all to ignore the tsunami that will follow his decision.

The Israeli national team deserves a coach who doesn't account to anyone.

Nor to the media.

It's time.

For years I covered the team closely.

I have been on dozens of trips with the national team, also in the national team hotel, also on game night.

I saw up close one or another national coach putting a lot of thought into what some commentator in the studio would say about the lineup, the lineup, and who knows what.

Quite a few national team coaches considered the mindset that was in the media.

Eli Gutman, for example, was frightened by the media coverage of him after the defeat in Russia and 3 days later replaced no less than six players in the first team.

And there are many more embarrassing examples.

Also regarding summons.

Alon Hazan is the only national team coach who does not complain about criticism he receives in the media.

He will never share with players, businessmen, not even the people of the association regarding criticism of him.

Not even the one he suffered recently regarding Azili and Zabee.

Hazan respects the journalists, shows patience towards them, but he doesn't count anyone.

He is not afraid of anyone, and there is no chance that he will be involved in any scandal, not even in any leak to the media,

A lot of mutual respect.

A building with a vision (Photo: Audi Citiat)

Hazan came from home with a clear world view - "Go with your truth, don't compromise, never try to please someone, and it doesn't matter who that someone is and how important he is", Hazan used to say at the beginning of his career as a coach.

The fact that he was not a coach appointed to the position, the fact that there is a professional manager above him, the one who chose him for the position, did not make the cantor change his personality, nor round corners.

Unlike the time when Willy Rothensteiner interfered with Andy Herzog, the coach, from the calls to the team to the substitutions made in the game, Benion gives a lot of respect to the cantor, and receives respect in return.

The cooperation between them includes the consultation of a cantor in the Bennion regarding summonses, preparation for the game and more.

They talk a lot, and about everything.

But Banyon respects the cantor's decisions and does not impose anything on him.

The professional manager was not looking for an assistant coach.

He wasn't looking for a poodle.

He wanted a professional with a backbone.

Surely many will raise an eyebrow, but this is the reality.

And a final sentence about Zahavi.

I am very intrigued to know whether the Maccabi Tel Aviv star will keep his fingers crossed for the national team.

Zahavi is not Berkovich (or even a neighbor), it will be interesting to see his reaction at home in front of the television after Israel's goal.

The veteran striker was wrong in the decision he made, but with the luck he has, he will return to the team for the playoff games (I wish we would make it), and he will also conquer the goal of Israel's promotion to the Euros.

If that happens, then the whole festival that took place around the hotel room, was worth it.

Equal to a breathtaking movie with ratings in the sky.

go go Israel.

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• Israeli soccer

• Israel national teams

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• Israel national football team

• Alon Hazan

• Eran Zehavi

• Yossi Benayoun