Former Israeli Soccer Stars Join National Team Project

Former Israeli national soccer team players Zahi Armeli and Yaron Parselani have joined the "Legends Project" in Hungary, an initiative by the Israel Football Association aimed at connecting past and present players. Both Armeli, who scored ten goals in 28 appearances for Israel, and Parselani, who earned 20 caps, expressed their excitement about participating.

Armeli described the opportunity as something he never dreamed of after his playing career, thanking the Football Association and Ziv Solomon, the project's manager. Parselani recalled a memorable match against Australia that ended in a draw, leading to a playoff against Colombia, and humorously mentioned a defender stepping on his head during the game.

The players emphasized the importance of focusing on the game and leaving politics aside, a sentiment echoed by the current national team. Armeli shared an anecdote from 1986 where he changed his name to "Zohar Armeli" during a visit to a rabbi in a religious school to show respect, illustrating his belief that only football matters on the field.

Parselani stated that the national team represents heritage and that their presence signifies its continued importance, adding that the team has a mission and will respond on the field to external events. Armeli echoed this, calling the political "mess" irrelevant and stressing the need to win on the field, criticizing actions like not shaking hands or exchanging flags as detrimental to the sport.

Both players believe the current generation of players can achieve success, urging a focus on moving forward rather than dwelling on past glories. Armeli expressed confidence that the players have learned from recent mistakes and that setbacks are not the end of the world. Parselani, though he didn't score for the national team, witnessed Armeli score a memorable header against Ireland in 1984, his first game alongside Eli Ohana.