By David Gold
April 10 – UEFA President Michel Platini has been in Israel to visit the Shfayim technical and training centre near Tel Aviv, which was recently built with assistance from the HatTrick initiative.
The facility has been built to help the Israeli senior and youth teams, with the inauguration ceremony attended by Platini, Israeli Sports Minister Limor Livnat and Israel Football Association (IFA) President Avi Luzon (pictured above, left to right).
HatTrick is UEFA’s assistance programme which helps national associations develop grass roots sports facilities.
Israel is also building three new stadiums – in Haifa, Petah Tikva and Netanya – for the European Under-21 Championships which it hosts next year.
The country is also staging the women’s European Under-19 Championship in 2015, the two tournaments serving as a major boost to football in a country where the sport competes with basketball for the nation’s attention.
“We will make sure our youth players practice at the top level,” said Luzon.
“The stars of the future will be the best athletes possible.
“My vision is that the game will be both quality and fun, and that the fans will derive enjoyment [from it].
“Renovated stadiums across the country will serve families and children.
“We want to make Israel a state of football.
“We have taken the first steps, and we will host the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2013.
“I have no doubt this is just the beginning.”
Platini commented: “I am happy to be here.
“It is my responsibility, as President of UEFA, to help the association.
“We have invested a lot in these facilities and we will continue to do more for the IFA in the future.
“This [centre] is a good investment for the future, especially for young players.
“Football is a matter of patience and investment.
“If we will support young players they will blossom.”
Livnat expressed hopes that Israeli football would be boosted by the new centre and said: “We are planning to build 100 football fields.
“What good would it be if we did not have a culture of football and sport?
“Israel now has optimal training conditions and the tools for success.
“We have excellent conditions that meet international criteria – here we will be able to nurture Israel’s next young talents.”
Israel has only qualified for the World Cup on one occasion, in 1970 (above, the team lines up before a pre-tournament friendly).
Despite that, Israel has made a habit of coming agonisingly close to qualification for major tournaments in the last decade before narrowly missing out.
The most notable example of this was the 2006 World Cup, when Avram Grant managed the remarkable achievement of guiding the team unbeaten through a qualifying group involving France, Switzerland and the Republic of Ireland, yet still unable to make the finals.
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