Legendary Coach Slams Israel National Football Team Manager After Humiliating Loss

Former Israeli national football team coach Shlomo Sharf has called for the immediate resignation of current manager Ran Ben Shimon, following what he described as the most humiliating and disgraceful game in Israeli football history. Sharf, a prominent figure in Israeli coaching, stated that the team's recent performance was a "night that disgraced an entire nation" and that Ben Shimon "must go home immediately."

Sharf criticized Ben Shimon's coaching decisions, including player selections, substitutions, and overall game management, asserting that the position is "too big for him." He pointed to Ben Shimon's past failures with major Israeli clubs like Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Beitar Jerusalem, as well as his unsuccessful tenure coaching Cyprus, questioning the decision to appoint him to the national team.

"He took a very talented generation and destroyed it from the foundations," Sharf lamented, adding that Ben Shimon's sideline demeanor suggests he is not fully engaged with the game. Sharf also questioned the inclusion of players like Yarden Shua and Eli Dasa, who are not consistently playing for their clubs, and the absence of key players like Dor Peretz, whom Sharf considers the best player in Israeli football.

The article implies the loss was particularly galling given the opponent, referred to as "greatest haters of Jews in the world." Sharf expressed deep sadness and disappointment, emphasizing that the team's performance was a national disgrace. He suggested that if Ben Shimon has any self-respect, he should resign before the next match, even proposing that the team would be better off without a coach than with the current one.