Israel is an opponent ofItalia in group 2 of League A of Uefa Nations League: after the first leg played on a neutral pitch in Hungary (victory of the Azzurri 2 to 1), the return match will be played on Monday 14 October at Udine. A high-tension match due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, as the coach did not fail to underline Luciano Spalletti. One is also planned in Udine pro-Palestine demonstration. After the invasion of Gaza Strip on the part of Tel Aviv, the Palestinian Federation has asked again exclusion of Israel from competitions Uefa e Fifa (as happens for example for the Russia after the invasion of Ukraine). It is not the first time: already in 2015 the entire Arab Federation carried out a substantial initiative, without however achieving anything. But one question remains: why Israel, placed geographically in Asiais affiliated with Uefa and play competitions in Europa? Not just national tournaments, as clubs also participate in Champions, Europa League e Conference. Here is the story of the Israeli football movement.
Early years (1930-1948)
Before the founding of the State of Israel, football in the region was represented by the team of British Mandate of Palestinewhich participated in the World Cup qualifiers as early as 1934. After the foundation of the State of Israel, in 1948the Israeli national football team began to participate in the international competitions under the aegis of FIFA. The first match was a friendly New York against the Olympic national team Usa: perse 3 to 1.
Affiliation with the Asian Federation and boycotts (1954–1962)
Israel was initially a member ofAsian Football Confederation (AFC), participating in Asian tournaments, including the Asian Cup. From the beginning, however, many Muslim national teams refused to face Israel, especially after the Suez crisis of 1956. The greatest paradox was the qualifying tournament at World Cup in Sweden 1958: Israel’s opponents in the group (Türkiye, Indonesia, Egypt and Sudan) they didn’t come down in the field. The Tel Aviv national team would therefore have qualified without having played not even a match. FIFA patched things up by organizing a play-off against Waleswho won it. In the qualifiers at World 1962 Israel was placed in a trans-continental round and was eliminated by Italy.
The farce of the Asian Cup and the only World Cup (1964-1970)
Due to geopolitical tensions with Arab and Muslim countries, more and more teams refused to play against Israel. Another farce was there 1964 Asian Cuporganized and won by Israel: 11 out of 17 national teams withdrew from the tournament, which became a strange competition be teams. To overcome these problems, FIFA decided to include Israel in the mixed qualifying group (Asia and Oceania). 1970 World Cup. The Tel Aviv national team, beating New Zeeland e Australiaobtained the pass for the Mexico: to date it is the only participation in the World Cup.
The expulsion from the Asian Federation (1974-1994)
The last boycott episodes occurred in Asian Games 1974. This situation led the AFC to expel in fact Israel in 1974under political pressure by the member states, who voted by majority on the motion of Kuwait e North Korea. Outside the Asian Federation, Israel experienced a difficult period in football, during which it was not affiliated with any regional confederation. For two decades, the team participated in the qualifications for FIFA competitions as “independent“, facing teams from various continents, mainly Europe and Oceania. He never managed to qualify for a World Cup again.
Entry into UEFA (1994)
To resolve the situation of international isolation, UEFA accepted the request in 1994 Israel to become part of European Federation. They were especially the rich club teams to push for this solution, to be able to participate in European tournaments. Since becoming a member of UEFA, Israel has regularly participated in the qualifiers for Europeans e World Cup. The national team has not yet qualified for a European championship nor has it managed to return to play in a World Cup. A different situation compared to basketa sport in which Israeli teams not only participate but are also competitive: the Maccabi Tel Aviv he won 6 timesEuroleaguethe last one in 2014.
