Almog Cohen Risks Losing Key Players Omer Atzili and Yarden Shua at Beitar Jerusalem

Beitar Jerusalem faces a crucial second-leg match against Austria Vienna on Thursday after losing 2-1 in the first leg in Bucharest. The team must deliver a strong away performance to advance to the playoff stage. In a recent discussion on the "Press Box" show, former player Itay Shechter and coach Nir Klinger debated Almog Cohen's management of star players Omer Atzili and Yarden Shua, particularly regarding Cohen's tendency to substitute them early in matches.

Shechter criticized Cohen's approach, warning that benching key players like Atzili and Shua for perceived drops in intensity could harm their confidence and risk losing them altogether. He emphasized that decisive players should be preserved in important games and that expecting them to maintain maximum effort for the full 90 minutes is unrealistic. Shechter stated, "A player cannot fear substitution at any moment; it is problematic. If a star who scores and assists is replaced every game, his confidence will drop."

Conversely, Klinger argued that responsibility also lies with the players themselves to raise their intensity levels. He defended Cohen's decisions, noting that the team's system worked well last year and expressing his expectation that Atzili and Shua improve their performance to avoid issues. Klinger said, "Cohen cannot lose these players. The formation is not the problem; I expect the stars to increase their intensity."

The debate highlights the tension within Beitar Jerusalem as they prepare for a pivotal match that could determine their progression in European competition.