Contrary to the past years in which Jackie Ben Zaken brought experienced coaches with a rich past in the Premier League to MS Ashdod, this summer the owner decided to give the reins to the successful coach of the youth team, Eli Levy.
Beyond the desire to give Levy the opportunity thanks to his success at a young age, Ben Zaken's thought was that the coach would lead the change of generations at the club and integrate the players of the successful youth team from recent years into the seniors.
Although the team is not successful and is ranked last in the league, but when it comes to integrating young people Levy does not compromise.
One of the best examples is Ravid Abergil.
The young striker has only started twice in the team, but he leads the team's top scorer table with four goals.
The 21-year-old Abergil grew up in the youth department of Maccabi Tel Aviv, and played in the same yearbook with Oscar Gloch.
Gloch would come every day from Rehovot to Kiryat Shalom, while Abergil made the daily journey from Ashkelon.
The paths of the two, who are considered good friends to this day, parted ways when Gloch progressed in the yellow youth department, while Abergil moved to Ashkelon and from there to Ashdod's excellent youth department.
In Ashdod, Abergil's talent was quickly recognized, but he was not marked as one of the promising projects from the creator of the southern team that provided Israeli football with quite a few great players.
Last summer he was even a candidate to go on loan to Maccabi Rishon LeZion.
"This is a great talent," says Yuval Naim, who trained at the beginning of the season in Israel. "I followed him and really wanted him, but at the last moment, Ashdod refused and the deal fell through."
Abergil, photo: Liron Moldovan
The reason for the deal falling through was that Ashdod had trouble finding a striker to complete the squad.
Abergil saw an opportunity and pounced on it.
At the beginning of the war, he was absent quite a bit from the fields due to his military service.
Abergil serves at the base of the military rabbinate in Ramla, where quite a few of those murdered on October 7 arrived.
Instead of starring on the football field, he had to endure harsh scenes and sad tragedies.
But with the return of the league, Abergele took with both hands the opportunity they gave him.
"This is a child who properly went through all the processes and transitions from being a student to an adult. He went through blood, sweat and tears. Ravid was not marked as a great potential in the youth department and was under the radar," says Roni Avatt, Ashdod's professional manager.
"Also at the beginning of the season he was supposed to go out on loan, but a situation arose and the team was looking for a striker."
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"Ravid is fast with a great sense of smell for expats. He always knows how to be in the right place," praises Awat.
"He has high self-confidence and that is very important for a youth player. His advantage is that Eli Levy trained him and knows how to use it, and Ravid also knows what Eli is asking for professionally. He is not a sucker and as far as I am concerned he is a legitimate striker in the Premier League. Not everyone knows how to take the opportunity like he does He did this year. He will continue to work hard and reach higher."
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