Character. That's all the difference: the special feature of the Israeli national team - voila! sport

IFA Chairman Shino Zuaretz talks to the youth team (Football Association)

For most football fans, the team that will advance to the eighth of the World Cup final against Uzbekistan tonight is at the beginning of their careers, but it is important to know and understand that each of the players who is in Argentina has already come a long way in their development, as a person and especially as a footballer.

Just look at their last year and the huge emotional upheavals they went through: they reached the final of the Under-19 Euros and were on top of the world, the whole country was talking about them. Then they came back to reality here. Look, for example, at Eli Madmon, the captain, who did not acclimatize to his youth team Hapoel Be'er Sheva and moved on loan to Beitar Jerusalem. There, too, he endured a complicated season and played little; Stav Lemkin, one of the standouts in the World Cup, who was chosen as the defender of the tournament under the age of 19, endured a difficult season in Hapoel Tel Aviv's seniors. Dor Turgeman, considered one of the leading players in the yearbook, faced sitting on the bench. The talented Lugasi from Maccabi Petah Tikva found it difficult to fit into the new immigrant's lineup, and that's how you can continue to transition player-player.

Brave Fighters (Photo: official website, from the official website of the Mondialito)

This is not accidental. We are aware of the problem of transitioning from youth to adults, this is the hardest part of any footballer's career. In addition, in the same year there is usually recruitment to the IDF, which changes the routine and further increases the complexity of the transition. This challenge of transitioning from youth to adults is one of the most important issues in football.

I know the 2003 and 2004 yearbooks pretty well. Seven of the players in the squad (the injured Glicklich, Israelov, Lemkin, Kanczpolsky, Benjamin, Senior, Abed) I know very intimately. I've been with them since they were in ninth grade, working with them on a daily basis. I can tell you that what sets them apart from other yearbooks is character. The personality of these players is the secret of success, in addition of course to the excellent team that surrounds them in the national team. There is a winning element here.

This moment is a good opportunity for all of us to embrace Israeli football. After the Euro final of the youth team, the young team qualified for the European Championship, Maccabi Haifa made an amazing way in the champions, Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the Conference League and we also had a competitive league until the end of the season. There are a lot of good things about us, we just need to know how to leverage it and be more positive.

Ahead of the Israeli national team's game: "Players in the national team said: 'We're not coming back tomorrow'" Igor Shaquirin, on Uzbekistan:

"You advanced, but we weren't left behind"

Maccabi Tel Aviv is optimistic about extending Turgeman's contract after the tournament

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Dealing with disappointment paid off in a big way. Omar Senior (Photo by Getty Images, Football Association)

Omer Boxenbaum (Photo: Udi Zitiat)

Finally, a little story that tells me a lot about the challenges young footballers face: Omar Senior grew up as one of the leading players of his yearbook, always considered a star. And exactly a year ago he received a message that he was not invited to the European Championships. That evening I spoke to Omar and we arranged to have lunch the next day, where I told him that his sifting had a significant positive point - this was the first time he had to deal with disappointment in football, and that it was super important for his development. In the end, he has one goal - to be a leading player in the seniors, and he is about to go through a complex period in his first years as a senior player.

A year later, Senior scored the most important goal of this team. The next day I texted him to remember the conversation at dinner. I think he understands now how significant that mapping was.

I am proud of the group that came from Hapoel Tel Aviv to the national team, and I am happy that I got to develop together with them. I wish them, the staff, and the rest of the players the best of luck. And let them bring us a trophy - because honor they have already brought.

• sport
• Israeli football
• League

Tags

• Youth team
• Autumn Lemkin