Israel national under-21 football team

Israel Under-21
Association	Israel Football Association
Head coach	Alon Hazan
Captain	Ofri Arad
Most caps	Arik Benado (39)[1]
Top scorer	Alon Mizrahi (15)[2]
FIFA code	ISR
First colours	Second colours
First international
	Greece 2–2 Israel ; (Greece; 1990)
Biggest win
	Israel 6–0 Austria ; (Israel)
Biggest defeat
	Israel 0–4 Spain ; (Israel) ; Israel 0–4 Italy ; (Israel; 2013)
UEFA U-21 Championship
Appearances	2 (first in 2007)
Best result	Group Stage, 3rd Place

Israel's national Under-21 team (Hebrew: הנבחרת הצעירה של ישראל בכדורגל‎) 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 the Netherlands after beating the French under-21 team 2–1 on aggregate.

This team consists of Israeli players aged 21 or under at the start of each two-year UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship campaign, so players can be, and often are, up to 23 years old. Team members may also simultaneously qualify to various teams for Under-20s (for non-UEFA tournaments), Under-19s and Under 17s, or even the senior national team, so long as the meet the respective age restriction. It is also possible to play for one country at youth level and another at senior level (provided the player is eligible).

The U-21 team has been constructed, 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 HaMoshava Stadium).

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 stoppage time.

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

Competitive Record

UEFA European Under-21 Championship Record

Israel national under-21 football team at the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship

Year	Round	GP	W	D*	L	GS	GA
1992	Qualifying Stage	6	3	2	0	17	3
1994	Qualifying Stage	10	3	1	6	17	16
1996	Qualifying Stage	10	3	3	4	12	11
1998	Qualifying Stage	8	5	2	1	17	9
2000	Qualifying Stage	8	2	2	4	6	13
2002	Qualifying Stage	8	4	0	4	16	13
2004	Qualifying Stage	8	3	1	4	6	11
2006	Qualifying Stage	8	4	3	1	11	7
2007	Group Stage	7	2	2	3	5	9
2009	Qualification Playoffs	8	5	2	1	16	5
2011	Qualifying Stage	8	5	1	2	18	8
2013	Group Stage	3	1	1	1	3	6
2015	Qualifying Stage	8	5	0	3	22	15
2017	Qualifying Stage	10	6	3	1	21	4
2019	Qualifying Stage	10	4	2	4	17	18
2021	Qualifying Stage	10	3	4	3	12	14
2023	Qualification in progress
Total	2/15	110	47	25	41	177	139

Players

Top Appearances

Rank	Player	Club(s)	Year(s)	U-21 Caps
1	Arik Benado	Maccabi Haifa, Beitar Jerusalem	1992–1995	39
2	Nir Sivilia	Maccabi Tel Aviv, Bnei Yehuda, Beitar Jerusalem	1993–1997	34
2	Shay Holtzman	Maccabi Netanya, Maccabi Haifa, Tzafririm Holon	1992–1995	34
3	Dekel Keinan	Maccabi Haifa, Bnei Sakhnin, Maccabi Netanya	2003–2007	30
4	Alon Halfon	Maccabi Netanya, Hapoel Haifa	1993–1995	29
4	Tom Almadon	Maccabi Haifa	2004–2007	29
5	Ofer Talker	Ironi Ashdod, Hapoel Haifa	1992–1995	28
6	Ofir Kopel	Maccabi Haifa	1994–1997	27
7	Lior Jan	Maccabi Tel Aviv	2006–2008	26
8	Moshe Ohayon	F.C. Ashdod	2001–2005	24

Note: Club(s) represents the permanent clubs during the player's time in the Under-21s.

Top Goalscorers

Rank	Player	Club(s)	Year(s)	U-21 Goals
1	Alon Mizrahi	Bnei Yehuda	1992–1993	15
2	Shay Holtzman	Maccabi Netanya, Maccabi Haifa, Tzafririm Holon	1992–1995	14
3	Mu'nas Dabbur	Maccabi Tel Aviv, Grasshopper	2011–2014	13
4	Nir Sivilia	Maccabi Tel Aviv, Bnei Yehuda, Beitar Jerusalem	1993–1997	12
5	Ben Sahar	Chelsea, Espanyol	2007–2010	8
5	Maor Buzaglo	Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Petah Tikva, Bnei Sakhnin, Maccabi Tel Aviv	2007–2010	8
6	Eli Abarbanel	Hapoel Petah Tikva	1994–1999	7
6	Amir Turgeman	Ironi Ashdod	1992–1993	7

Note: Club(s) represents the permanent clubs during the player's time in the Under-21s.

UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship

2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Spain	10	9	1	0	20	1	+19	28	Final tournament	—	3–0	3–0	3–0	2–0	2–0
2	North Macedonia	10	5	3	2	20	12	+8	18		0–1	—	1–1	1–1	7–1	2–1
3	Israel	10	3	4	3	12	14	−2	13		1–1	1–1	—	1–2	3–1	0–0
4	Kazakhstan	10	3	1	6	12	21	−9	10		0–1	1–4	1–2	—	2–3	0–4
5	Faroe Islands	10	3	0	7	11	25	−14	9		0–2	1–2	3–1	1–3	—	1–0
6	Montenegro	10	2	1	7	11	13	−2	7		0–2	1–2	1–2	1–2	3–0	—

Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Germany	6	5	0	1	21	8	+13	15	Final tournament	—	3–2	0–4	3 Jun '22	25 Mar '22	4–0
2	Israel	6	5	0	1	15	6	+9	15	Play-offs	29 Mar '22	—	24 Mar '22	3–0	2–1	7 Jun '22
3	Poland	6	4	1	1	17	4	+13	13		7 Jun '22	1–2	—	29 Mar '22	5–0	3–0
4	Hungary	6	2	1	3	9	12	−3	7		1–5	1–2	2–2	—	1–0	24 Mar '22
5	Latvia (E)	6	1	0	5	4	13	−9	3		1–3	2 Jun '22	0–2	7 Jun '22	—	2–0
6	San Marino (E)	6	0	0	6	0	23	−23	0		0–6	0–4	2 Jun '22	0–4	29 Mar '22	—

Updated to match(es) played on 16 November 2021. Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(E) Eliminated

Coaching staff

Position	Name
Manager	Marco Balbul
Assistant Manager	Ofer Fabian
Assistant Manager	Alon Hazan
Goalkeeper Coach	Nir Davidovich
Fitness Coach	Yossi Kakun

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches against Germany on 7 September & Latvia on 12 October 2021.

Caps and goals as of 13 October 2021.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1GK	Omer Nir'on	(2001-04-17) 17 April 2001	2	0	Hapoel Ramat HaSharon
1GK	Nadav Zamir	(2001-07-07) 7 July 2001	0	0	Ironi Kiryat Shmona
1GK	Sharif Kayouf	(2001-06-25) 25 June 2001	0	0	Hapoel Afula

2DF	Gil Cohen	(2000-11-08) 8 November 2000	10	0	F.C. Ashdod
2DF	Or Blorian	(2000-03-07) 7 March 2000	9	0	Maccabi Petah Tikva
2DF	Doron Leidner	(2002-04-26) 26 April 2002	4	0	Hapoel Tel Aviv
2DF	Karem Jaber	(2000-10-31) 31 October 2000	4	0	Maccabi Netanya
2DF	Zohar Zasno	(2001-11-21) 21 November 2001	2	0	F.C. Ashdod
2DF	Tomer Machluf	(2000-08-09) 9 August 2000	1	0	Maccabi Tel Aviv
2DF	Amit Glazer	(2000-05-30) 30 May 2000	1	0	Bnei Yehuda
2DF	Ziv Morgan	(2000-01-19) 19 January 2000	0	0	Ironi Kiryat Shmona

3MF	Ido Shahar	(2001-08-20) 20 August 2001	7	1	Maccabi Tel Aviv
3MF	Osher Davida	(2001-02-18) 18 February 2001	6	0	Hapoel Tel Aviv
3MF	Omri Gendelman	(2000-05-16) 16 May 2000	4	2	Maccabi Netanya
3MF	Maor Levi	(2000-06-18) 18 June 2000	4	0	Maccabi Haifa
3MF	Yuval Sade	(2000-05-10) 10 May 2000	3	0	Maccabi Netanya
3MF	Mohammed Kna'an	(2000-01-14) 14 January 2000	2	0	F.C. Ashdod
3MF	Arad Bar	(2000-01-29) 29 January 2000	2	0	Maccabi Petah Tikva
3MF	Eitan Azulay	(2002-05-26) 26 May 2002	2	0	Maccabi Petah Tikva
3MF	Tamir Glazer	(2000-05-30) 30 May 2000	0	0	Bnei Yehuda
3MF	Aviel Zargari	(2002-12-11) 11 December 2002	0	0	Beitar Jerusalem

4FW	Stav Nachmani	(2002-10-06) 6 October 2002	3	1	Hapoel Nof HaGalil
4FW	Itay Buganim	(2001-05-29) 29 May 2001	4	1	Hapoel Haifa
4FW	Oz Bilu	(2001-01-16) 16 January 2001	1	0	F.C. Ashdod

Recent callups

The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months:

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Daniel Peretz	(2000-07-10) 10 July 2000	2	0	Maccabi Tel Aviv	v. Latvia, 12 October 2021

DF	Noam Malmud	(2002-08-02) 2 August 2002	0	0	Hapoel Jerusalem	v. Latvia, 12 October 2021

MF	Bar Cohen	(2001-03-10) 10 March 2001	0	0	Hapoel Nof HaGalil	v. Poland, 7 September 2021
MF	Eden Karzev	(2000-04-11) 11 April 2000	13	2	Maccabi Netanya	v. Poland, 7 September 2021
MF	Ilay Elmkies	(2000-03-10) 10 March 2000	4	0	Admira Wacker	v. Latvia, 12 October 2021

FW	Roey Ben Shimon	(2000-12-04) 4 December 2000	1	0	Bnei Yehuda	v. Kazakhstan, 8 September 2020
FW	Liel Abada	(2001-10-03) 3 October 2001	5	0	Celtic	v. Spain, 17 November 2020
FW	Hisham Layous	(2000-11-13) 13 November 2000	1	0	F.C. Kafr Qasim	v. Poland, 7 September 2021
FW	Suf Podgoreanu	(2002-01-20) 20 January 2002	2	0	Spezia	v. Latvia, 12 October 2021
FW	Ihab Abu Alshech	(2000-03-06) 6 March 2000	1	0	Maccabi Netanya	v. Latvia, 12 October 2021

References

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.

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[1] ttp://football.org.il/NationalTeam/Pages/NationalTeamAppearance.aspx?NATIONAL_TEAM_ID=943&PAGE_NUM=1

[2] ttp://football.org.il/NationalTeam/Pages/NationalTeamCaptivate.aspx?NATIONAL_TEAM_ID=943&PAGE_NUM=1