ISRAEL NATIONAL UNDER-21 FOOTBALL TEAM

'Israel's national Under-21 team' (), 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

Competition History

Coach

Current and recent players

European Under-21 Football Championship 2007 Squad

See also

External links

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.

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.

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) ★ Tom Almadon ★ Tamir Cohen ★ Roy Dayan ★ Kobi Dejani ★ Eliran Danin ★ ''Dekel Keinan'' ★ Maor Melikson ★ Muhammed Shakhbari ★ Yossi Shekel ★ ''Barak Yitzhaki''	'1985-born' (eligible to 2007 UEFA U21 Champ) ★ Wiyam Amashe ★ ''Shlomi Arbeitman'' ★ Yitzhak Azouz ★ ''Amit Ben Shushan'' ★ Aviram Bruchyan ★ Shai David ★ Ohad Elghrabli ★ Ohad Kadousi ★ Ahmed Kasoum ★ Naor Peser ★ Amir Taga ★ Gil Vermuth ★ Yahav Yulzeri ★ Maor Zohar	'1986-born' (eligible to 2009 UEFA U21 Champ) ★ Idan Balestra ★ Eden Ben Basat ★ Guy Haimov ★ Lior Jan ★ Ohad Levita ★ Shai Maimon ★ Omer Peretz ★ Lior Rafaelov ★ Uri Shitrit ★ Idan Srur ★ Shiran Yeini	'1988-born' (eligible to 2011 UEFA U21 Champ) ★ Oded Elkayam ★ ''Toto Tamuz''
		'1987-born' (eligible to 2009 UEFA U21 Champ) ★ Dani Bondar ★ Rami Duani ★ Lior Jan ★ Tom Manshrov ★ Itai Schechter ★ ''Yuval Spungin''	'1989-born' (eligible to 2011 UEFA U21 Champ) ★ ''Ben Sahar''

Those players in ''italics'' have caps for the senior team.

European Under-21 Football Championship 2007 Squad

Main articles: 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship squads

Head coach: Guy Levy ^[1]

See also

★ European Under-21 Football Championship

★ Israel (Senior) team

External links

★ Uefa Under-21 website Contains full results archive

★ The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Contains full record of U-21 Championship hosts and additional statistics, such as the Group Winners table for the 1998 qualifiers.