The Jerusalem Post
May 29. 2006
Page 11
Sometimes things creep up on you when you are least expecting it.
A couple of weeks ago I had become despondent. It was the end of the Israeli and English soccer seasons, which I assumed meant there would be no meaningful soccer to watch until June 9 at 7 p.m. when Germany kicks the World Cup off against Costa Rica in Munich.
But suddenly, this weekend, it started. Just when I thought I would have to put up with another fortnight of no action, World Cup fever began with a bang.
One might have thought that these pre-tournament friendlies would be meaningless and boring, but try telling that to the Americans who beat Venezuela, under-fire Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy who scored for Holland as the Oranje defeated Cameroon, or the Welsh who handed England's Group B opponents Trinidad and Tobago a 2-1 loss in Austria on Saturday night.
Watching clips of some of the 45,000 people who paid to watch Brazil train in Switzerland, with the Samba dancing girls in bikinis mixing with the locals of the tiny town of Weggis, and it is clear the party has already begun, even if many of the teams haven't even arrived in Germany yet.
The World Cup. There really is nothing like it. Exactly one month of pure football bliss. And the excitement is becoming palpable.
For the first two weeks there are at least three games a day to watch, and nearly every game counts.
For us English, every international tournament brings with it the most insane amount of hype and media coverage. This is my first time watching England from outside of the country, but the expectation hasn't waned even a little bit.
Growing up in the shadow of Wembley Stadium, coupled with the failure of my favorite team to come anywhere close to the top division, made it hard not to be an England fan.
From when I was about six-years-old, I would travel the one stop to Wembley Park station for the majority of England's home games, and always get caught in the passion and excitement of the major tournaments.
But unfortunately England has never seemed to achieve its potential. The cruel elimination at the hand of Diego Maradona was just the first in a long list of failures.
"We could have beaten Argentina in '86," people say. "We nearly beat West Germany in the 1990 semis," "It was Beckham's fault in '98" - each time there's been an excuse.
This time it was going to be different. The team was mature and ready with a great mix of experience and young talent. But the Wayne Rooney debacle changed all that.
There's no doubt Rooney was the man England supporters were pinning their hopes on. Paulo Ferreira's appalling tackle in the Chelsea vs Manchester United game which secured the title for the Blues, changed the whole plan.
But it appeared obvious from the start that Rooney would not play and all this focus on him surely only distracts the other players from the task in hand.
England faces a difficult task, especially with Sweden in its group. It is not unlikely that England could finish second and face Germany in the second round, which would most probably end English dreams before they even started.
The decision to take the totally untested Theo Walcott in place of Jermaine Defoe seems to be madness. Walcott is not just inexperienced, he's never even played in the Premiership before and with England's lack of striking power, has a good chance to fail.
If only England had Ronaldinho. I don't think there has ever been a player like him. It is not only the Brazilian's skills and pace that astound viewers, but the passion and happiness with which he plays the game is infectious.
Surely this is the 26-year-old's year. He's already won the Spanish title and Champions League with Barcelona. Who would bet against him lifting the World Cup in six weeks.
Monday, 14 June 2010
Eto'o takes stardom in stride
The Jerusalem Post
May 26, 2006
Page 12
Samuel Eto'o smiles once again as he remembers the feelings he had during the Champions League final in Paris.
It is only a week since that classic game, and this has to be the third or fourth interview in a row that the FC Barcelona striker has done with the Israeli press, but Eto'o doesn"t seem to mind one bit.
"I am never nervous and always focused," Eto'o said. "I always know that happy moments come after sad ones."
At halftime, his Barcelona team was down 1-0 to Arsenal in one of the most important matches game in the club"s history. But with 14 minutes to go, Eto'o equalized before Juliano Belleti scored the winner five minutes later.
"The game wasn"t finished and there was always hope we could win," Eto'o said. "At halftime, the players spoke to each other and there was no feeling of pressure. We knew the game had only just started."
The 25-year-old Cameroon international flew into Israel on Tuesday as a guest of the Peres Center for Peace and promoted his message of tolerance since the moment he arrived.
Eto"o has been a tireless campaigner against racism. He famously threatened to leave the field after being subjected to monkey noises by Real Zaragoza fans during a Spanish League match in February.
He says he decided to come to Israel to help "the children" and on Wednesday afternoon, he witnessed a "mini world cup" featuring mixed Israeli and Palestinian teams of youngsters.
But before that, the player many people name as the greatest striker in the world spoke about his experiences at Barcelona.
Eto'o is delighted he has brought the Champions League trophy to the Catalan city and believes Barca can only improve.
The victory was only the second time the club has won European soccer's premier club competition, the first being against Sampdoria at Wembley Stadium in 1992.
The former Mallorca and Espanyol player was clearly at the top of his game last season, scoring 24 goals to help Barcelona win the Spanish league title for the second year in a row.
"Most of our players are aged 25 or under, so our team is still being built. We need to continue and to be modest. We must push ourselves and maybe we can get even better."
The biggest star on the team is undoubtedly Brazilian Ronaldinho, who Eto"o describes as "magic."
Arsenal fans may wish he would move to north London, but Eto"o stresses he has no desire to leave Spain. "I am playing in the best league in the world and I don"t think about moving," he said.
With the World Cup only two weeks away, Eto"o reflects on the fact that he won"t get the opportunity to show off his skills on the ultimate international stage. Cameroon finished second to the Ivory Coast in Group 3 of African qualification, and it will miss out on the finals for the first time since 1986.
"It was God"s will that I won"t play in the World Cup this time and I have to accept this," he says.
At least Eto'o, who has played more than 60 times for his country, has had experience of playing in the last two World Cups - in Japan/South Korea four years ago when Cameroon failed to get past the first round, and in France "98 where he made one appearance.
Eto"o won"t name the team he believes will win the tournament but he believes the African teams have a chance to do well.
"Everything is possible. I have a lot of friends on the African teams and I know that with some luck they could go very far," he concludes.
And what does he think of Israel?
"It is a beautiful country from what I have seen of it," Eto'o says. "It's just a shame that I can"t go into the sea because I can"t swim," he adds with another smil
May 26, 2006
Page 12
Samuel Eto'o smiles once again as he remembers the feelings he had during the Champions League final in Paris.
It is only a week since that classic game, and this has to be the third or fourth interview in a row that the FC Barcelona striker has done with the Israeli press, but Eto'o doesn"t seem to mind one bit.
"I am never nervous and always focused," Eto'o said. "I always know that happy moments come after sad ones."
At halftime, his Barcelona team was down 1-0 to Arsenal in one of the most important matches game in the club"s history. But with 14 minutes to go, Eto'o equalized before Juliano Belleti scored the winner five minutes later.
"The game wasn"t finished and there was always hope we could win," Eto'o said. "At halftime, the players spoke to each other and there was no feeling of pressure. We knew the game had only just started."
The 25-year-old Cameroon international flew into Israel on Tuesday as a guest of the Peres Center for Peace and promoted his message of tolerance since the moment he arrived.
Eto"o has been a tireless campaigner against racism. He famously threatened to leave the field after being subjected to monkey noises by Real Zaragoza fans during a Spanish League match in February.
He says he decided to come to Israel to help "the children" and on Wednesday afternoon, he witnessed a "mini world cup" featuring mixed Israeli and Palestinian teams of youngsters.
But before that, the player many people name as the greatest striker in the world spoke about his experiences at Barcelona.
Eto'o is delighted he has brought the Champions League trophy to the Catalan city and believes Barca can only improve.
The victory was only the second time the club has won European soccer's premier club competition, the first being against Sampdoria at Wembley Stadium in 1992.
The former Mallorca and Espanyol player was clearly at the top of his game last season, scoring 24 goals to help Barcelona win the Spanish league title for the second year in a row.
"Most of our players are aged 25 or under, so our team is still being built. We need to continue and to be modest. We must push ourselves and maybe we can get even better."
The biggest star on the team is undoubtedly Brazilian Ronaldinho, who Eto"o describes as "magic."
Arsenal fans may wish he would move to north London, but Eto"o stresses he has no desire to leave Spain. "I am playing in the best league in the world and I don"t think about moving," he said.
With the World Cup only two weeks away, Eto"o reflects on the fact that he won"t get the opportunity to show off his skills on the ultimate international stage. Cameroon finished second to the Ivory Coast in Group 3 of African qualification, and it will miss out on the finals for the first time since 1986.
"It was God"s will that I won"t play in the World Cup this time and I have to accept this," he says.
At least Eto'o, who has played more than 60 times for his country, has had experience of playing in the last two World Cups - in Japan/South Korea four years ago when Cameroon failed to get past the first round, and in France "98 where he made one appearance.
Eto"o won"t name the team he believes will win the tournament but he believes the African teams have a chance to do well.
"Everything is possible. I have a lot of friends on the African teams and I know that with some luck they could go very far," he concludes.
And what does he think of Israel?
"It is a beautiful country from what I have seen of it," Eto'o says. "It's just a shame that I can"t go into the sea because I can"t swim," he adds with another smil
Eto'o thrills children and players
The Jerusalem Post
May 25, 2006
Page 12
Barcelona star Samuel Eto'o showed a touch of brilliance as he dribbled past half of the joint Betar Jerusalem/Bnei Sakhnin team to score the second goal in a charity match for peace match at Zissman Hall in Ramat Gan on Wednesday night.
The Cameroon international played for a few minutes in the first half on the team made up of stars from the TV show Eretz Nehederet, which faced players from Betar and Sakhnin.
Eto'o, who arrived in Israel on Tuesday, spent the day promoting his message of anti-racism and anti-violence in the trip organized by the Peres Center for Peace.
But on Wednesday evening, the time finally came for him to show off the skills that have helped him become recognized as one of the best soccer players in the world.
Although the score was relatively insignificant, Eto'o played most of the second half on the Betar-Sakhnin team to help it easily win the match 5-2, with a hatrick from Betar forward Lior Asulin assuring the victory.
In an example of the unity before the 1,000 strong crowd, Asulin exchanged passes with Sakhnin's Abed Rabbo before firing home his first goal a minute into the match.
"It is something wonderful to see that a person and player like him came to Israel to promote peace," Betar"s Gal Alberman told The Jerusalem Post after the match. "We don't need to see it here. We all know how great he is when we see him on TV every week. I think Samuel Eto"o is the best striker in the world at the moment."
There has been a history of violent clashes between the fans of Betar and Sakhnin and the message from the players was clear.
"We want to show the supporters that the problem is not with the players," Alberman said. "It is important to get unity among the Jews and Arabs. I felt no difference playing with the Sakhnin players tonight compared with playing for my own team."
The event attracted a number of politicians, including Peres Center president and Vice Premier Shimon Peres and MK Tzahi Hanegbi, who played in goal for the Eretz Nehederet team.
Peres addressed the crowd before the game. "When I see Betar and Sakhnin together this is an Eretz Nehederet [wonderful land]," he said. "We hope there will be peace and end to violence."
After Eto"o accepted a trophy from Sports Minister Ophir Pines, he told the crowd. "I never thought I would be here in Israel with such important people. I have scored many goals in my life but this, to promote peace here, is one of the most beautiful."
Earlier in the day the Barcelona player spoke about the importance of standing up against racism and violence in soccer. The player has become a symbol of anti-racism, especially after he threatened to walk off the pitch during a game in the Spanish league against Real Zaragoza in February when he had been taunted with monkey chants.
"I am in soccer and if I can use my position as an instrument to promote the betterment of things than I will do it," he told the Post. "During my free time anything I can do to help making things better in the world I will do with the greatest of pleasures."
Eto"o admitted that the problem of racism in Israeli soccer, which is mostly directed against Arab players, is different than in Europe. However he stressed: "We need to recognize there is a problem of racism and publicize this. We need to be together in the war against racism. What happens in the stadiums is unacceptable. It is a long road but we have to take it together."
Earlier on Wednesday, the Cameroonian attended a special "mini World Cup" tournament at Hadar Yosef, where 24 mixed teams of Palestinian and Israeli youngsters from the Peres Center sports department battled for the coveted trophy. The final of the seven-a-side competition was a tense affair, won by the team representing Italy, which beat Brazil on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
"I decided to come to Israel because of the children. It is very important to bring them together so they will know to live together. Thankfully I have been given the possibility to do something through soccer and encourage people to listen. It is an important tool."
May 25, 2006
Page 12
Barcelona star Samuel Eto'o showed a touch of brilliance as he dribbled past half of the joint Betar Jerusalem/Bnei Sakhnin team to score the second goal in a charity match for peace match at Zissman Hall in Ramat Gan on Wednesday night.
The Cameroon international played for a few minutes in the first half on the team made up of stars from the TV show Eretz Nehederet, which faced players from Betar and Sakhnin.
Eto'o, who arrived in Israel on Tuesday, spent the day promoting his message of anti-racism and anti-violence in the trip organized by the Peres Center for Peace.
But on Wednesday evening, the time finally came for him to show off the skills that have helped him become recognized as one of the best soccer players in the world.
Although the score was relatively insignificant, Eto'o played most of the second half on the Betar-Sakhnin team to help it easily win the match 5-2, with a hatrick from Betar forward Lior Asulin assuring the victory.
In an example of the unity before the 1,000 strong crowd, Asulin exchanged passes with Sakhnin's Abed Rabbo before firing home his first goal a minute into the match.
"It is something wonderful to see that a person and player like him came to Israel to promote peace," Betar"s Gal Alberman told The Jerusalem Post after the match. "We don't need to see it here. We all know how great he is when we see him on TV every week. I think Samuel Eto"o is the best striker in the world at the moment."
There has been a history of violent clashes between the fans of Betar and Sakhnin and the message from the players was clear.
"We want to show the supporters that the problem is not with the players," Alberman said. "It is important to get unity among the Jews and Arabs. I felt no difference playing with the Sakhnin players tonight compared with playing for my own team."
The event attracted a number of politicians, including Peres Center president and Vice Premier Shimon Peres and MK Tzahi Hanegbi, who played in goal for the Eretz Nehederet team.
Peres addressed the crowd before the game. "When I see Betar and Sakhnin together this is an Eretz Nehederet [wonderful land]," he said. "We hope there will be peace and end to violence."
After Eto"o accepted a trophy from Sports Minister Ophir Pines, he told the crowd. "I never thought I would be here in Israel with such important people. I have scored many goals in my life but this, to promote peace here, is one of the most beautiful."
Earlier in the day the Barcelona player spoke about the importance of standing up against racism and violence in soccer. The player has become a symbol of anti-racism, especially after he threatened to walk off the pitch during a game in the Spanish league against Real Zaragoza in February when he had been taunted with monkey chants.
"I am in soccer and if I can use my position as an instrument to promote the betterment of things than I will do it," he told the Post. "During my free time anything I can do to help making things better in the world I will do with the greatest of pleasures."
Eto"o admitted that the problem of racism in Israeli soccer, which is mostly directed against Arab players, is different than in Europe. However he stressed: "We need to recognize there is a problem of racism and publicize this. We need to be together in the war against racism. What happens in the stadiums is unacceptable. It is a long road but we have to take it together."
Earlier on Wednesday, the Cameroonian attended a special "mini World Cup" tournament at Hadar Yosef, where 24 mixed teams of Palestinian and Israeli youngsters from the Peres Center sports department battled for the coveted trophy. The final of the seven-a-side competition was a tense affair, won by the team representing Italy, which beat Brazil on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
"I decided to come to Israel because of the children. It is very important to bring them together so they will know to live together. Thankfully I have been given the possibility to do something through soccer and encourage people to listen. It is an important tool."
Betar, Ossie Ardiles agree to terms.
The Jerusalem Post
May 24, 2006
Page 12
After weeks of speculation, Argentinian World Cup winner Ossie Ardiles was named the new Betar Jerusalem head coach on Tuesday.
The former Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United manager had met with Betar's billionaire owner Arkadi Gaydamak and club chairman Vladimir Shklar during a trip to Israel over the weekend.
On Tuesday, Gaydamak offered Ardiles a contract worth a reported $500,000 for one year.
Ardiles, 53, is expected to return to Jerusalem in the next 10 days to complete the deal and replace Frenchman Luis Fernadez, who quit last month.
Following the announcement, Shklar told The Jerusalem Post he was "very happy that Ardiles is going to train Betar."
"We are sure he will be a success here and we hope he gets the fans' support," Shklar added.
The decision put an end to the debate over who would lead the club into the coming season. Until Sunday it had been widely assumed that former Israel national team coach Avraham Grant would be taking charge, but Gaydamak is thought to have preferred a big name foreigner who can attract quality players from outside Israel, and on Sunday Grant ruled himself out.
In recent weeks, former England managers Kevin Keegan and Terry Venables and ex-Romania coach Georghe Hagi have all been linked with the position.
Ardiles has more than 10 years experience managing clubs around the world, although he has had a distinct lack of success, compared with his fantastic playing career.
Betar assistant coach Guy Azuri said he is "very excited" to work with Ardiles. "I think Ardiles was a tremendous football player and I am sure we will gain a lot from his experience at the club," Azuri told The Jerusalem Post. "All I hope is that together we will bring Betar to the place the club want to be. We all want to win the championship next season."
Referring to the many changes in the coaching staff last season, Azuri added, "One of the most important things in a football club is stability and quietness. We need it next year. I'm sure that's what everyone wants and I hope Ardiles will start and finish the season."
The 2005/06 season was one of upheaval for the Jerusalem club. Eli Ohana was the coach at the beginning of the campaign, but left after only one Premier League match. Ton Caanen took over, but soon after Fernandez was brought in as general manager, moved to Maccabi Tel Aviv as Fernandez took on the responsibilities of head coach as well.
Azuri remained on the coaching staff, working as assistant to all three head coaches and even taking control in between Ohana and Caanen.
Betar finished in third place in the league, guaranteeing a spot in the UEFA Cup.
May 24, 2006
Page 12
After weeks of speculation, Argentinian World Cup winner Ossie Ardiles was named the new Betar Jerusalem head coach on Tuesday.
The former Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United manager had met with Betar's billionaire owner Arkadi Gaydamak and club chairman Vladimir Shklar during a trip to Israel over the weekend.
On Tuesday, Gaydamak offered Ardiles a contract worth a reported $500,000 for one year.
Ardiles, 53, is expected to return to Jerusalem in the next 10 days to complete the deal and replace Frenchman Luis Fernadez, who quit last month.
Following the announcement, Shklar told The Jerusalem Post he was "very happy that Ardiles is going to train Betar."
"We are sure he will be a success here and we hope he gets the fans' support," Shklar added.
The decision put an end to the debate over who would lead the club into the coming season. Until Sunday it had been widely assumed that former Israel national team coach Avraham Grant would be taking charge, but Gaydamak is thought to have preferred a big name foreigner who can attract quality players from outside Israel, and on Sunday Grant ruled himself out.
In recent weeks, former England managers Kevin Keegan and Terry Venables and ex-Romania coach Georghe Hagi have all been linked with the position.
Ardiles has more than 10 years experience managing clubs around the world, although he has had a distinct lack of success, compared with his fantastic playing career.
Betar assistant coach Guy Azuri said he is "very excited" to work with Ardiles. "I think Ardiles was a tremendous football player and I am sure we will gain a lot from his experience at the club," Azuri told The Jerusalem Post. "All I hope is that together we will bring Betar to the place the club want to be. We all want to win the championship next season."
Referring to the many changes in the coaching staff last season, Azuri added, "One of the most important things in a football club is stability and quietness. We need it next year. I'm sure that's what everyone wants and I hope Ardiles will start and finish the season."
The 2005/06 season was one of upheaval for the Jerusalem club. Eli Ohana was the coach at the beginning of the campaign, but left after only one Premier League match. Ton Caanen took over, but soon after Fernandez was brought in as general manager, moved to Maccabi Tel Aviv as Fernandez took on the responsibilities of head coach as well.
Azuri remained on the coaching staff, working as assistant to all three head coaches and even taking control in between Ohana and Caanen.
Betar finished in third place in the league, guaranteeing a spot in the UEFA Cup.
The Last Word 13: The power of celebrity
The Jerusalem Post
May 22, 2010
Page 10
Just over a year ago, Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho was a much more controversial figure than he is now.
In March 2005, he arrived in Israel on a trip organized by the Peres Center for Peace, just a couple of weeks after he had accused Barcelona manager Frank Rijkard of entering Swedish referee Anders Frisk's dressing room at halftime during Chelsea's Champions League game with the Catalan club.
Mourinho had refused to withdraw his accusations, incurring the anger of UEFA, the governing body of European soccer. But for a few days, the Chelsea boss put all the disputes to one side to promote the values of co-existance. Maybe the controversy even helped the cause of peace, because many English journalists made the trip to Israel and followed Mourinho wherever he went.
On Tuesday, Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o will be arriving in Israel for a similar trip. The main event will see him participating in a soccer match in which a joint Betar Jerusalem and Bnei Sakhnin team will play against the stars of the TV show Eretz Nehederet.
It seems the Peres Center is getting it right. Even though the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is clearly years, if not decades, from being anywhere close to being solved, the fact is that we are all just people. If it is possible to get Israeli and Palestinian children to mix together and play together it can only be a good thing.
Each project has been cleverly designed to gain maximum exposure and catch the public's attention. Sad as it may be, celebrity sells, and this week's events have been created to attract Israelis, young and old.
Eretz Nehederet is one of the most popular Israeli shows on TV and the inclusion of the program's stars will catch the attention of many mainstream Israelis. The game has also been sponsored by the company that produces the popular soccer sticker albums, meaning the young soccer fanatics in this country will also be interested in the project. And the idea of bringing Betar and Bnei Sakhnin players to play together in one team will demonstrate the possibility of coexistance to the supporters of both teams.
Eto'o, a Cameroonian who has campaigned against racism in soccer, is definitely a big name, but the fact that he scored in the Champions League final last week will only help boost the international profile of the trip.
As Mourinho did last year, Eto'o will hold a professional workshop for leading Israeli and Palestinian coaches. Of course Eto'o is not a coach. And he is not Jose Mourinho, widely considered one of the best soccer coaches around.
Perhaps for this reason, the lecture the Chelsea manager delivered at a Tel Aviv hotel last March was attended by the head coaches of nearly every team in the Israeli Premier League.
It is doubtful whether Eto'o will be able to deliver a masterclass on managing international stars and tactical coaching as Mourinho did. Standing in front of some 200 people, he revealed the methods he uses to keep his Chelsea team at the top of its game - from training techniques to team-building exercises.
Even if some of the Israeli coaches seemed less than interested in learning from a master of the game, Mourinho's visit was clearly an inspiration. We can only hope that the positive work the Center is doing will continue to break down barriers in this country for years to come.
May 22, 2010
Page 10
Just over a year ago, Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho was a much more controversial figure than he is now.
In March 2005, he arrived in Israel on a trip organized by the Peres Center for Peace, just a couple of weeks after he had accused Barcelona manager Frank Rijkard of entering Swedish referee Anders Frisk's dressing room at halftime during Chelsea's Champions League game with the Catalan club.
Mourinho had refused to withdraw his accusations, incurring the anger of UEFA, the governing body of European soccer. But for a few days, the Chelsea boss put all the disputes to one side to promote the values of co-existance. Maybe the controversy even helped the cause of peace, because many English journalists made the trip to Israel and followed Mourinho wherever he went.
On Tuesday, Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o will be arriving in Israel for a similar trip. The main event will see him participating in a soccer match in which a joint Betar Jerusalem and Bnei Sakhnin team will play against the stars of the TV show Eretz Nehederet.
It seems the Peres Center is getting it right. Even though the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is clearly years, if not decades, from being anywhere close to being solved, the fact is that we are all just people. If it is possible to get Israeli and Palestinian children to mix together and play together it can only be a good thing.
Each project has been cleverly designed to gain maximum exposure and catch the public's attention. Sad as it may be, celebrity sells, and this week's events have been created to attract Israelis, young and old.
Eretz Nehederet is one of the most popular Israeli shows on TV and the inclusion of the program's stars will catch the attention of many mainstream Israelis. The game has also been sponsored by the company that produces the popular soccer sticker albums, meaning the young soccer fanatics in this country will also be interested in the project. And the idea of bringing Betar and Bnei Sakhnin players to play together in one team will demonstrate the possibility of coexistance to the supporters of both teams.
Eto'o, a Cameroonian who has campaigned against racism in soccer, is definitely a big name, but the fact that he scored in the Champions League final last week will only help boost the international profile of the trip.
As Mourinho did last year, Eto'o will hold a professional workshop for leading Israeli and Palestinian coaches. Of course Eto'o is not a coach. And he is not Jose Mourinho, widely considered one of the best soccer coaches around.
Perhaps for this reason, the lecture the Chelsea manager delivered at a Tel Aviv hotel last March was attended by the head coaches of nearly every team in the Israeli Premier League.
It is doubtful whether Eto'o will be able to deliver a masterclass on managing international stars and tactical coaching as Mourinho did. Standing in front of some 200 people, he revealed the methods he uses to keep his Chelsea team at the top of its game - from training techniques to team-building exercises.
Even if some of the Israeli coaches seemed less than interested in learning from a master of the game, Mourinho's visit was clearly an inspiration. We can only hope that the positive work the Center is doing will continue to break down barriers in this country for years to come.
Betar interviews Ossie Ardiles
The Jerusalem Post
May 21, 2006
Page 12
Former Tottenham Hotspur star Ossie Ardiles flew into Israel over the weekend for talks with Betar Jerusalem owner Arkadi Gaydamak over the vacant head coach job at the club.
The Argentinian, who was one of the first foreigners to play in English soccer, arrived in Tel Aviv on Friday. He was met at the airport by Betar chairman Vladimir Shklar and was interviewed by Gaydamak on Friday evening.
Speculation has been rife over who will take over at Betar since last month when Frenchman Luis Fernandez announced he would not be coaching the Jerusalem team next season.
Shklar told The Jerusalem Post that although Ardiles "made a good impression," former Israel national team coach Avraham Grant is still in the running.
"We had a good meeting with Ardiles, but we are still deciding and will announce a decision in the next few days," Shaklar said.
Ardiles, 54, remained positive as he left the country on Saturday. Speaking at Ben-Gurion Airport, he said he was "very, very impressed" by what he had seen and was hoping to become the next Betar coach.
"We had a very good meeting yesterday with the chairman and the general manager," Ardiles told Telesport. "We discussed a lot of things. We are very close to coming to an agreement and now we have to wait a few days."
The former Tottenham, West Brom and Swindon Town manager said he had been shown videos of Betar playing and that everything is "very, very positive."
"I have been very impressed with the people I have been talking to. The chairman is a very, very impressive guy. He wants to put Betar Jerusalem at the very, very top...," he said.
Ardiles had much success as a player, both for his country and at club level. His greatest moment came in the 1978 World Cup, which Argentina won on home soil.
However, his managerial career has been less impressive. In 1993, he was appointed manager of Spurs, where he employed his attacking diamond formation. But the experiment failed and Tottenham finished in an embarrassing 15th place in the Premiership and he was sacked a few months into the following season.
Since then, Ardiles has coached at Racing Club in Argentina, Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia and from 2003-05 at Tokyo Verdy in Japan"s J-League, where he won the Emperor"s Cup but was fired after a poor run of form.
May 21, 2006
Page 12
Former Tottenham Hotspur star Ossie Ardiles flew into Israel over the weekend for talks with Betar Jerusalem owner Arkadi Gaydamak over the vacant head coach job at the club.
The Argentinian, who was one of the first foreigners to play in English soccer, arrived in Tel Aviv on Friday. He was met at the airport by Betar chairman Vladimir Shklar and was interviewed by Gaydamak on Friday evening.
Speculation has been rife over who will take over at Betar since last month when Frenchman Luis Fernandez announced he would not be coaching the Jerusalem team next season.
Shklar told The Jerusalem Post that although Ardiles "made a good impression," former Israel national team coach Avraham Grant is still in the running.
"We had a good meeting with Ardiles, but we are still deciding and will announce a decision in the next few days," Shaklar said.
Ardiles, 54, remained positive as he left the country on Saturday. Speaking at Ben-Gurion Airport, he said he was "very, very impressed" by what he had seen and was hoping to become the next Betar coach.
"We had a very good meeting yesterday with the chairman and the general manager," Ardiles told Telesport. "We discussed a lot of things. We are very close to coming to an agreement and now we have to wait a few days."
The former Tottenham, West Brom and Swindon Town manager said he had been shown videos of Betar playing and that everything is "very, very positive."
"I have been very impressed with the people I have been talking to. The chairman is a very, very impressive guy. He wants to put Betar Jerusalem at the very, very top...," he said.
Ardiles had much success as a player, both for his country and at club level. His greatest moment came in the 1978 World Cup, which Argentina won on home soil.
However, his managerial career has been less impressive. In 1993, he was appointed manager of Spurs, where he employed his attacking diamond formation. But the experiment failed and Tottenham finished in an embarrassing 15th place in the Premiership and he was sacked a few months into the following season.
Since then, Ardiles has coached at Racing Club in Argentina, Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia and from 2003-05 at Tokyo Verdy in Japan"s J-League, where he won the Emperor"s Cup but was fired after a poor run of form.
The Last Word 12: The crazy managerial merry-go-round
The Jerusalem Post
May 15, 2006
Page 12
Am I the only England soccer team supporter pulling my hair out in frustration?
There I was a couple of weeks ago, minding my own business, when the dreaded announcement came through. The English Football Association had inexplicably appointed Steve McClaren as the next manager of England's national soccer team.
OK, the decision had at least ended the ridiculously long speculation period over who would be replacing Sven Goran Eriksson. But McClaren? The man is the epitome of English mediocrity.
The Middlesbrough team he has managed for the last five years hasn't exactly set the world on fire. Just a few months ago, upset fans were ripping their season tickets up in his face after an embarrassing 7-0 loss to Arsenal in the Premier League. And the club may have managed to reach the UEFA Cup final earlier this month, but the 4-0 drubbing by Sevilla did not impress at all.
The choice sums up one of the big problems in soccer. The decision-makers don't seem to know what they are doing. The FA fiasco began a week or two earlier, when it was suddenly leaked that, after much careful deliberation, the association had offered the England job to Luis Felipe Scolari - the moustachioed Brazilian known as 'Big Phil,' who had guided Brazil to victory in the last World Cup and then done well with Portugal.
All well and good in theory, but there was one small problem - the guy can not speak English. At all. Not even a little bit. And I can't think of anyone in England who would likely to be able to understand Portuguese.
Thankfully, Big Phil turned the job down. But this does not excuse the decision to give it to McClaren. Martin O'Neill was always the only manager left on the shortlist who looked like he could inspire the players and do a good job.
Speculation over managerial appointments has definitely not been isolated around the England job. Here in Israel, a not dissimilar saga has been unfolding over who will coach Betar Jerusalem next season after the nutty Frenchman Luis Fernandez finally did the right thing and said he won't stay for another season.
The decision process here in Israel's capital has mirrored the embarrassment of the FA, with various unlikely names being bandied around. First the former Newcastle, Manchester City and England manager Kevin Keegan was revealed by various newspapers as being in talks with owner Arkadi Gaydamak. But he decided the unprofessionalism of the story being leaked to the press was a bad sign and he pulled out.
Now, the most intriguing candidate is the ex-Tottenham and Barcelona manager Terry Venables. It would be wonderful to see El Tel walk out onto the pitch at Teddy, but I very much doubt it's going to happen. The club may appear to be revelling in Russian billionaire Arkadi's massive influx of money, but anyone who takes a trip down to Betar's run-down, dirty training ground will come away with an altogether different impression.
If Gaydamak wants to make Betar into a top international side, he better start improving the training facilities or he will never be able to attract top players or managers. And Venables will surely be staying in England.
May 15, 2006
Page 12
Am I the only England soccer team supporter pulling my hair out in frustration?
There I was a couple of weeks ago, minding my own business, when the dreaded announcement came through. The English Football Association had inexplicably appointed Steve McClaren as the next manager of England's national soccer team.
OK, the decision had at least ended the ridiculously long speculation period over who would be replacing Sven Goran Eriksson. But McClaren? The man is the epitome of English mediocrity.
The Middlesbrough team he has managed for the last five years hasn't exactly set the world on fire. Just a few months ago, upset fans were ripping their season tickets up in his face after an embarrassing 7-0 loss to Arsenal in the Premier League. And the club may have managed to reach the UEFA Cup final earlier this month, but the 4-0 drubbing by Sevilla did not impress at all.
The choice sums up one of the big problems in soccer. The decision-makers don't seem to know what they are doing. The FA fiasco began a week or two earlier, when it was suddenly leaked that, after much careful deliberation, the association had offered the England job to Luis Felipe Scolari - the moustachioed Brazilian known as 'Big Phil,' who had guided Brazil to victory in the last World Cup and then done well with Portugal.
All well and good in theory, but there was one small problem - the guy can not speak English. At all. Not even a little bit. And I can't think of anyone in England who would likely to be able to understand Portuguese.
Thankfully, Big Phil turned the job down. But this does not excuse the decision to give it to McClaren. Martin O'Neill was always the only manager left on the shortlist who looked like he could inspire the players and do a good job.
Speculation over managerial appointments has definitely not been isolated around the England job. Here in Israel, a not dissimilar saga has been unfolding over who will coach Betar Jerusalem next season after the nutty Frenchman Luis Fernandez finally did the right thing and said he won't stay for another season.
The decision process here in Israel's capital has mirrored the embarrassment of the FA, with various unlikely names being bandied around. First the former Newcastle, Manchester City and England manager Kevin Keegan was revealed by various newspapers as being in talks with owner Arkadi Gaydamak. But he decided the unprofessionalism of the story being leaked to the press was a bad sign and he pulled out.
Now, the most intriguing candidate is the ex-Tottenham and Barcelona manager Terry Venables. It would be wonderful to see El Tel walk out onto the pitch at Teddy, but I very much doubt it's going to happen. The club may appear to be revelling in Russian billionaire Arkadi's massive influx of money, but anyone who takes a trip down to Betar's run-down, dirty training ground will come away with an altogether different impression.
If Gaydamak wants to make Betar into a top international side, he better start improving the training facilities or he will never be able to attract top players or managers. And Venables will surely be staying in England.
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