Israel U21 coach Luzon to join Standard Liege

Ever since he was named the Israel Under-21 coach in August of 2010, Luzon insisted that his next coaching position would be in Europe.

By ALLON SINAI
GUY LUZON announces signing with Belgian club Standard Liege (photo credit: Adi Avishai)
GUY LUZON announces signing with Belgian club Standard Liege
(photo credit: Adi Avishai)
Nine days before he leads out the Israel Under-21 national team for its first match of the European Championships in Netanya, coach Guy Luzon announced on Monday that he is joining Belgian powerhouse Standard Liege.
Ever since he was named the Israel Under-21 coach in August of 2010, Luzon insisted that his next coaching position would be in Europe.
However, the identity of his eventual club and the timing of the announcement took almost everyone by surprise on Monday.
“I never hid my ambition to coach in Europe,” Luzon said on Monday. “I think that only one agent in the world can get an Israeli coach hired in Belgium and that is Dudu Dahan.
After we beat Belgium’s Under- 21 team 4-1 in a friendly he told me he would find me a team.
“I’m very proud and delighted to be given this chance. But from this moment on I will be fully focused on the Israel team.”
Israel will face Norway in the tournament opener in Netanya on June 5 before playing Italy at Bloomfield Stadium three days later and completing its Group A games versus England at Teddy Stadium on June 11.
Group B will be contested between defending champion Spain, Germany, Netherlands and Russia.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals to be played on June 15, with the final to take place at Teddy on June 18.
Liege secured its qualification for the Europa League in the last day of the Belgian season on Sunday, but that still didn’t satisfy the club’s expectations and it chose to part ways with Romanian coach Mircea Rednic.
Standard has 10 local championships to its name, the last of which was won in the 2008/09 season.
The Liege squad currently includes three Israeli players, Maor Buzaglo, Rami Gershon and Dudu Biton, although the last two spent the past season on loan at Celtic and APOEL Nicosia, respectively.