ISRAEL: Eli Guttman, former Hapoel Tel Aviv coach, is announced as the next coach of Israel's national soccer squad

Record ID: 397327

  • Title: ISRAEL: Eli Guttman, former Hapoel Tel Aviv coach, is announced as the next coach of Israel's national soccer squad
  • Date: 28th December 2011
  • Summary: RAMAT GAN, ISRAEL (DECEMBER 27, 2011) (REUTERS) ELI GUTTMAN, NEWLY APPOINTED COACH OF ISRAEL'S NATIONAL SOCCER SQUAD, RECEIVING TEAM T-SHIRT CROWD AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) ELI GUTTMAN, NEWLY APPOINTED COACH OF ISRAEL'S NATIONAL SOCCER SQUAD, SAYING: "This team's main code will be honour; there will be no egos in the dressing room. It will adhere to a playin
  • Embargoed: 12th January 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel, Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA1VMWLG9HSVYFJSI1BWEJGIMUQ
  • Story Text: The Israel Football Association unveiled home-born Eli Guttman as the national team's new coach on Tuesday (December 27) in place of Frenchman Luis Fernandez.
    Guttman, 53, has a reputation for being a methodical and meticulous tactician and was the only candidate the Israeli FA considered for the position. He received unanimous backing from the 11-member IFA board, initially for a two-year contract.
    Guttman's first task will be to prepare the national team for a home international friendly against Euro 2012 co-hosts Ukraine on February 29, and to formulate a squad for the Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign that begins in September.
    Israel have been drawn in European qualifying Group F with Portugal, Russia, Azerbaijan, Northern Ireland and Luxembourg. They have only qualified for a major finals once, the 1970 World Cup finals in Mexico.
    "This team's main code will be honour; there will be no egos in the dressing room. It will adhere to a playing system," Guttman said.
    "This will be a team of players that will get up in the morning, brush their teeth according to a system of play, will eat their lunch according to a system of play and go to sleep according to a system of play.
    "Why? Because only through a system of play is it possible to narrow the gaps against Portugal and or Russia."
    The Israeli has coached 15 different clubs in a 33-year career and began as an understudy to Shlomo Scharf, Israel's longest-serving coach between 1992 and 1999 during their initial period in the European fray.
    He had most success coaching Hapoel Haifa and Hapoel Tel Aviv, clubs with whom he has won two league championships and three State Cups. He also coached Cypriot sides Paralimni and AEL Limassol.
    Fernandez's contract officially ends at the end of the year. He was appointed in May 2010 to lead Israel in the Euro 2012 qualifiers but his record was five wins, a draw and four losses in qualifying group F, eight points behind winners Greece.
    The Frenchman was heavily criticised in the Israeli media, which said he had failed to establish a stable squad and made frequent and unorthodox changes to his line-ups.
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