The Last Word: The incorrigible and inept Avi Luzon

Is it too much to ask that the Israel Football Association chairman be worthy of his title?

By JEREMY LAST
jeremy last 88 (photo credit: )
jeremy last 88
(photo credit: )
The position of Israel Football Association Chairman is one of prestige, one which attracts instant international recognition. The individual appointed as the head honcho of Israeli soccer holds the responsibility of the running all aspects of the game in this country, from the top-level Israeli Premier League through the lower divisions, as well as all women's and youth leagues. Away from home, the chairman acts as Israel's soccer representative to the world, attending international conferences and competition draws, essentially the face of the IFA on the global stage. There is of course no room for favoritism in the role of IFA chairman, being that he is supposed to represent the whole league system, encompassing all of the competing teams. So is it too much to ask that the man given this extremely important position be worthy of the title? Surely the IFA chairman should be a man of integrity, a man who chooses his words carefully and consistently illustrates that he has the interest of the entire soccer community at heart. But, this being Israel, things don't always turn out as expected. Unfortunately, the current IFA chairman, Avi Luzon, possesses few of the diplomatic qualities we would expect of someone in his position. Luzon isn't just outspoken, he's outrageous, rarely failing to shock with his embarrassing attitude and comments. Over the past few weeks, the former Maccabi Petah Tikva chairman's name has been dragged through the mud. Although last week he managed to avoid being found guilty of verbally abusing a referee at a youth league game earlier this season, the whole sorry affair did nothing to improve Luzon's already tarnished image. Ironically, whether or not he screamed obscenities at young referee Shiran Zilberman is not the point. There is rarely smoke without fire, and something untoward is likely to have happened during that match in Petah Tikva. Luzon has shown time and again that he cannot remain impartial and hold his tongue, and he, therefore, should never have taken the job in the first place. His heart has always remained with Petah Tikva, the club his family owns, as he so rudely articulated toward the end of last season in a verbal tirade to reporters. This is not the first time that the IFA chairman has proven to be an inappropriate choice. Luzon's predecessor, Itche Menachem, was woefully out of touch with the grassroots, and another former IFA chief, Gavri Levy, had a similarly aggressive attitude as Luzon. It's a pity, because in some aspects Luzon has not done too badly. His plan to expand the Premier League from 12 to 16 teams from next season has every chance of raising excitement in an all-too-often boring competition. His choices of Moti Ivanir as under-21 coach, and Tal Banin as under-17 coach, show vision to the future. And his involvement in the 'Kick Racism Out of Israeli Football' campaign is to be commended, even if there are inherit problems with its implementation. However, the man's general persona and lack of self-control, combined with his obvious support for Maccabi Petah Tikva, is unacceptable, and it is time for Luzon to be replaced by someone more fitting. jeremylast@gmail.com