What happens with the youth team in Argentina (Saturday, 20:30, the quarter-final against Brazil on Kan 11) yields great satisfaction, happiness and pride. On a personal level, I feel that working for Israeli football is a privilege and I see it as a mission and Zionism.
I have been accompanying this team for two years. We work in teams, and Moshe Sinai, who it is a great privilege to work with, is a partner with us in everything. Through the selection of talents, the quality yearbooks and Ofir Haim's connection with the actors themselves - everything connects to something special.
There are some milestones that I think are important for success. First, the promotion of players at international level by the young teams. In clubs and youth departments there should be support for all issues of development.
Ofir Haim, in Mendoza, Photo: AP
Another milestone is the opportunity that should be given to every child in Israel to play soccer and receive a solution for his development. There is a route that passes through the development centers, academia, the young teams and then to the top of the pyramid - to the graduates, while Yossi Benayoun and Alon Hazan follow and are involved in everything.
Today Israel is ranked 78th in the world, and when I look forward, the vision is to see us in at least 30th place. If we're there, it means we'll have between 15 and 20 players in Europe's top leagues. Today we have only one. Our ambition is for more players to emerge and develop at the highest levels. Work is already being done with the 2010 yearbook, 12- and 13-year-olds, the next generation. We need patience and understanding that there is a process here. In the youth team, you can say that we met our goal.
Ultimately, the goal of the process is for the players to reach the first team and succeed there as well. We believe in them very much, they give us all the reasons for this, and everything that is happening here is a national mission, no less.
Ofir Haim's youth team celebrates on the grass in Argentina,
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Bonnie Ginzburg is the Technical Director of the Young Teams at the Israel Football Association
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