Israel national under-21 football team

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Israel Under-21
הנבחרת הצעירה
Shirt badge/Association crest
Association Israel Football Association
Head coach Guy Levy
Captain Ohad Levita
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
First kit
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Second kit
First International
Flag of Greece Greece U-21 2-2 Israel U-21 Flag of Israel
(Greece; 1990)
Biggest win
Flag of Israel Israel U-21 6-0 Austria U-21 Flag of Austria
(Israel)
Biggest defeat
Flag of Israel Israel-U21 0-4 Spain U-21 Flag of Spain
(Israel)
UEFA U-21 Championship
Appearances 1 (First in 2007)
Best result Group Stage

Israel's national Under-21 team (Hebrew: הנבחרת הצעירה של ישראל בכדורגל‎), also known as Israel Under-21s or Israel U-21s, is considered to be the feeder team for the Israel national football team. It has recently qualified for the European Championships to be held in Holland after beating the French under-21 team 2-1 on aggregate.

This team is for Israeli players aged 21 or under at the start of a two-year European Under-21 Football Championship campaign, so players can be, and often are, up to 23 years old. Also in existence are teams for Under-20s (for non-UEFA tournaments), Under-19s and Under 17s. As long as they are eligible, players can play at any level, making it possible to play for the U-21s, senior side and again for the U-21s, as Shlomi Arbeitman has done recently. It is also possible to play for one country at youth level and another at senior level (providing the player is eligible).

The U-21 team came into existence, following the Israel's acceptance as a full member of UEFA. A draw in a qualifier against Greece in Greece was Israel U-21s' first result.

Israel U-21s do not have a permanent home. They play in stadia dotted all around Israel in an attempt to encourage fans in all areas of the country to get behind Israel. Because of the lack of appeal compared to the senior national team, smaller grounds are used (such as Herzliya Stadium).

Contents

[edit] Competition History

There is no Under-21 World Cup, although there is an Under-20 World Cup. European U-21 teams compete for the European Championship, with the finals every even-numbered year. It will be held in odd-numbered years from 2007. Israel has never fared well in European Under-21 Football Championships.

The current campaign started shortly after the 2006 finals - the qualification stage of the 2007 competition. UEFA have decided to shift the next tournament forward to avoid a clash with senior tournaments taking place in even-numbered years. The competition has therefore been reduced as qualifying must be completed in a year's less time. In their three-team qualification group, Israel finished ahead of Turkey and Wales. In the two-legged play-off against France for a place in the final stage, the team achieved a surprising 1-1 draw in France and won the home match 1-0, with Amir Taga scoring in extra time.

Note: The year of the tournament represents the year in which it ends.

[edit] Coach

The current U-21 team coach is Guy Levi.

Guy Levi is assisted by Meir Sinai as fitness coach, Yisrael Ayani is the goalkeeping coach, Dr. David Eljam is the team doctor and Amtzia Bashan is the team physiotherapist.

[edit] Current and recent players

Players born in 1984 or later are eligible for the 2006-07 UEFA European U-21 Championship, players born in 1986 or later are eligible for the 2007-09 UEFA European U-21 Championship, and so on. The Under-19 team will be the most obvious source of the next crop of Under-21s.

1984-born
(eligible to 2007 UEFA U21 Champ)

1985-born
(eligible to 2007 UEFA U21 Champ)

1986-born
(eligible to 2009 UEFA U21 Champ)

1988-born
(eligible to 2011 UEFA U21 Champ)

1987-born
(eligible to 2009 UEFA U21 Champ)

1989-born
(eligible to 2011 UEFA U21 Champ)

Those players in italics have caps for the senior team.

[edit] European Under-21 Football Championship 2007 Squad

[edit] Flag of Israel Israel

Head coach: Guy Levy [1]

No. Pos. Player DoB/Age Caps Club
1 GK Ohad Levita 17 February 1986 Flag of Israel Hapoel Kfar Saba
2 DF Yuval Spungin 3 April 1987 Flag of Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv
3 DF Eliran Danin 29 March 1984 Flag of Israel Beitar Jerusalem
4 DF Shai Maimon 18 March 1986 Flag of Israel Maccabi Herzliya
5 DF Dekel Keinan 15 September 1984 Flag of Israel Maccabi Haifa
6 MF Lior Jan 24 October 1987 Flag of Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv
7 MF Idan Srur 5 October 1986 Flag of Israel Hapoel Petah Tikva
8 MF Aviram Bruchyan 20 May 1985 Flag of Israel Beitar Jerusalem
9 FW Barak Yitzhaki 25 September 1984 Flag of Israel Beitar Jerusalem
10 FW Toto Tamuz 4 January 1988 Flag of Israel Beitar Jerusalem
11 FW Omer Peretz 26 January 1986 Flag of Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv
12 DF Rami Duani 25 May 1987 Flag of Israel Hapoel Tel Aviv
13 DF Nitzan Damari 13 January 1987 Flag of Israel Maccabi Petah Tikva
14 FW Shlomi Arbeitman 14 May 1985 Flag of Israel Maccabi Haifa
15 DF Naor Peser 18 October 1985 Flag of Israel Maccabi Petah Tikva
16 FW Amit Ben-Shushan 20 March 1985 Flag of Israel Beitar Jerusalem
17 FW Ben Sahar 10 August 1989 Flag of England Chelsea
18 GK Tom Almadon 30 November 1984 Flag of Israel Maccabi Haifa
19 DF Dani Bondar 7 February 1987 Flag of Israel Hapoel Tel Aviv
20 MF Amir Taga 1 February 1985 Flag of Israel Maccabi Netanya
21 MF Shiran Yeini 18 December 1986 Flag of Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv
22 MF Lior Rafaelov 26 April 1986 Flag of Israel Maccabi Haifa
23 GK Yossi Shekel 24 September 1984 Flag of Israel Maccabi Herzliya


[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Levy pins hopes on starlets. UEFA.com (Wednesday, 30 May 2007).

[edit] External links