Israel Coach Ran Ben Shimon Seeks Early Release of US-Based Players Ahead of Austria Match

Israel national football team coach Ran Ben Shimon is currently in the United States meeting with American clubs to persuade them to release Israeli legionnaires early, before Yom Kippur, so they can prepare together for the team's opening match against Austria. The match is scheduled to take place in Linz, Austria, during Yom Kippur, where the Israeli squad will be training.

Ben Shimon has already met with players Liel Abada and Idan Toklomati, visited their club, and then proceeded to meet with Dor Turgeman and Ilay Feingold. He plans to conclude his meetings with Tai Baribo in Washington. The Israeli team acknowledges the difficulty in convincing the clubs to release players early, which may result in some or all players arriving in Austria only a day before the match, limiting their playing time due to time zone differences.

Meanwhile, Ben Shimon remains in contact with team captain Eli Dasa, who is awaiting developments regarding his situation, and the starting position of Manor Solomon for the upcoming season is still uncertain. Positive signs come from Oscar Gloukh, who started the season with a goal, and from Israeli clubs that won their European matches yesterday, advancing to the next rounds ahead of their second-leg games.