Avi Ran

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Avi Ran (August 25, 1963 - July 11, 1987) was a goalkeeper at the Israeli football club Maccabi Haifa. Widely considered one of the greatest football players in Israel, he had a promising future which was cut short by a fatal accident.

[edit] Football career

Won 2 championships with Maccabi Haifa.
Conceded only 18 goals in the 1985-86 season, the lowest in Maccabi Haifa's history.
Won Maariv's 1986 "footballer of the year" award (i.e. the MVP of the season).
Was goalkeeper of the Israeli national team.

[edit] Fatal accident

On July 11, 1987, in "Guy" beach in Tiberias, Avi Ran was killed when he was hit by a passing racing boat. Maccabi Haifa celebrated their championship in the Kineret lake, but when their promising young goalkeeper, Avi Ran, didn't come back from a short boat ride in the lake, everyone was shocked and devastated. 14,000 people attended Avi Ran's funeral.