Israeli National Football Coach Under Fire for Excessive Travel and Contract
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Israeli National Football Coach Ran Ben Shimon is under fire for excessive travel expenses, reportedly costing tens of thousands of dollars, and an unusually long and lucrative contract. His appointment also bypassed standard professional selection procedures. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Assaf Tzur has secured the starting position for the national team, and other football news includes Hapoel Petah Tikva seeking new ownership and coaching changes in youth teams.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- National team coach Ran Ben Shimon's extensive travel abroad has cost tens of thousands of dollars.
- Ben Shimon's contract guarantees him four years with a lenient exit clause.
- His annual salary of approximately NIS 2.25 million makes him the highest-paid national coach in 15 years.
- His appointment bypassed standard professional selection committee recommendations.
- Goalkeeper Assaf Tzur has been named the national team's first-choice.
- Hapoel Petah Tikva is seeking a businessman to join its ownership.
National team coach Ran Ben Shimon is facing scrutiny over his extensive travel abroad for meetings with players, reportedly costing tens of thousands of dollars and involving dozens of flights. This comes amid financial difficulties for the Football Association, exacerbated by the events of October 7th. Many of these meetings could have been conducted via video calls, according to reports. Ben Shimon's contract is also unusual, guaranteeing him four years with a lenient exit clause tied to poor World Cup qualifying results. His salary is approximately NIS 2.25 million annually, 35% higher than his predecessor Alon Hazan, making him the highest-paid Israeli national team coach in 15 years. He also received a 10% salary increase after disappointing World Cup qualifiers, despite previous coaches with better results being dismissed after only two years.
The circumstances surrounding Ben Shimon's appointment have also raised questions. He was appointed shortly after Barak Bakhar declined the position, bypassing the recommendations of a professional committee that advocated for a formal selection process involving multiple candidates and presentations. This deviates from previous practices where committees were established to select coaches like Elisha Levi, Andy Herzog, and Alon Hazan. The Football Association stated that a professional committee recommended Ben Shimon unanimously and that there is no regulatory requirement for an official search committee.
In other football news, goalkeeper Assaf Tzur has been named the national team's first-choice goalkeeper for the upcoming matches, regardless of the recovery of Daniel Peretz or the performance of Omri Glazer. Hapoel Petah Tikva is seeking a businessman to join its ownership to meet higher budget requirements for remaining at the top of Israeli football.
In judo, Raz Hershko has signed with a Kazakh club to compete in the European Champions League. In youth football, Ofir Haim will replace Guy Luzon as the coach of the U-21 national team. Midfielder David Asanka is attracting interest from top Israeli clubs. Maccabi Haifa will not sell tickets for away games at Teddy Stadium due to alleged mistreatment of its fans by Jerusalem police.
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