Avi Cohen
Encyclopedia
Avraham "Avi" Cohen was an Israel
i footballer who played as a defender
. He was best known for his spell playing for Liverpool
in England. After retirement from active football and management, he was the chairman of the Israel Professional Footballers Association for over five years until he was killed in a motorcycle crash., after his death Maccabi Tel Aviv has retired the number 5 that he wore.
200,000 ($
450,000) in July 1979, and became the first Israel
i to play in England
. He struggled to establish himself as a regular at Anfield
and was released in November 1981, rejoining Maccabi. On 20 September 1980, Cohen stirred up controversy when he decided to play in Liverpool's away fixture versus Southampton
, which fell on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur
. Liverpool drew with Southampton 2–2 in front of 24,085 spectators and Cohen was lambasted by the Israeli media for playing. He returned to the United Kingdom
in 1987, when he had a brief spell under former Liverpool teammate Graeme Souness
at Rangers
, before ending his career with Maccabi Netanya.
He also played for the Israeli national team
, making his debut on 19 July 1976 during the 1976 Summer Olympics
in a 0–0 draw against Guatemala
. On 9 October 1984, Cohen scored his first goal against Greece
in a 2–2 friendly draw. He was capped 51 times, scoring 3 goals. His son, Tamir
, is also a professional footballer who plays for Maccabi Haifa
in the Israeli Premier League and the Israeli national team
.
. In addition, Cohen was the brother-in-law
of former football player Vicky Peretz
and the uncle
of Peretz sons – Adi and Omer Peretz
.
In 2008, he participated in the Israeli reality version of Dancing with the Stars and was the fifth to be eliminated.
crash. He was taken to Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital, where he was immediately taken into surgery and was reported to be in a critical condition. Johan Elmander
paid tribute to Avi Cohen through a goal celebration on 26 December 2010 when he scored against West Bromwich Albion. Elmander held up a Bolton Wanderers shirt that read on the back – Get Well Soon Avi Cohen. This was due to Cohen's son Tamir currently playing for Bolton.
On 28 December 2010, Ichilov Hospital declared that Cohen was brain dead
. His brain death was confirmed by his son Tamir later the same day. Paying tribute to Cohen, Kenny Dalglish
said "Avi was a lovely man who will be remembered fondly by everyone at Liverpool who knew him. He quickly integrated himself into the football club when he joined us and spent a lot of time learning English which really made him popular. He was well liked by all the lads and although he didn't spend a long time at the club, he certainly left his mark and no-one will forget how he helped us win the league against Aston Villa. My thoughts and those of everyone connected to the club are with Avi's family." Ally McCoist
said "we knew his situation was bad but never for a second did we think it would come to this" before going on to say it was "so sad to hear that he has passed away."
On 28 December 2010, Cohen's heart stopped and he was declared legally dead at 11:00 p.m. IST
.
Liverpool
marked the death of Cohen with a period of applause before their Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers
on 29 December 2010.
On 24 April 2011, his son Tamir
, of the Bolton Wanderers, paid a tribute to his late father after scoring the winner against Arsenal
and celebrating with a printed T-shirt with his father's face on it.
Liverpool
Rangers
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i footballer who played as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. He was best known for his spell playing for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in England. After retirement from active football and management, he was the chairman of the Israel Professional Footballers Association for over five years until he was killed in a motorcycle crash., after his death Maccabi Tel Aviv has retired the number 5 that he wore.
Career
Cohen began his playing career with Maccabi Tel Aviv, before joining Liverpool for a fee of £Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
200,000 ($
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
450,000) in July 1979, and became the first Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i to play in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He struggled to establish himself as a regular at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
and was released in November 1981, rejoining Maccabi. On 20 September 1980, Cohen stirred up controversy when he decided to play in Liverpool's away fixture versus Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, which fell on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
. Liverpool drew with Southampton 2–2 in front of 24,085 spectators and Cohen was lambasted by the Israeli media for playing. He returned to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1987, when he had a brief spell under former Liverpool teammate Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
at Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, before ending his career with Maccabi Netanya.
He also played for the Israeli national team
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
, making his debut on 19 July 1976 during the 1976 Summer Olympics
Football at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Final results for the Football competition at the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, and Sherbrooke. Groups A, C and D had only three teams instead of four, as Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia national teams adhered to African-led boycott of the Games against the participation of New...
in a 0–0 draw against Guatemala
Guatemala national football team
The Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
. On 9 October 1984, Cohen scored his first goal against Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
in a 2–2 friendly draw. He was capped 51 times, scoring 3 goals. His son, Tamir
Tamir Cohen
Tamir Cohen is an Israeli football midfielder who plays for Maccabi Haifa. He is the son of the late Maccabi Tel Aviv and Liverpool player Avi Cohen.-Early career:Cohen started his career in Maccabi Tel Aviv's youth team where in 2001–02 he won the double...
, is also a professional footballer who plays for Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa F.C.
Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups...
in the Israeli Premier League and the Israeli national team
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
.
Personal life
Cohen was married to Dorit and the father of three, including the football player Tamir CohenTamir Cohen
Tamir Cohen is an Israeli football midfielder who plays for Maccabi Haifa. He is the son of the late Maccabi Tel Aviv and Liverpool player Avi Cohen.-Early career:Cohen started his career in Maccabi Tel Aviv's youth team where in 2001–02 he won the double...
. In addition, Cohen was the brother-in-law
Brother-in-law
A brother-in-law is the brother of one's spouse, the husband of one's sibling, or the husband of one's spouse's sibling.-See also:*Affinity *Sister-in-law*Brothers in Law , a 1955 British comedy novel...
of former football player Vicky Peretz
Vicky Peretz
Yitzhak "Vicky" Peretz is a former Israeli international footballer and currently acts as a manager.-Playing career:Peretz was the leading scorer of the Israel national under-19 football team that competed at the 1972 AFC Youth Championship...
and the uncle
Uncle
An uncle is a type of familial relationship.Uncle may also refer to:* Uncle , by J. P. Martin* U.N.C.L.E., a fictional organization in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E....
of Peretz sons – Adi and Omer Peretz
Omer Peretz
Omer Peretz is an Israeli footballer who currently plays at Sektzia Nes Tziona in Liga Leumit. His father, Vicky, was also a footballer in Israel as was his uncle, Avi Cohen and his cousin Tamir Cohen.-Footnotes:...
.
In 2008, he participated in the Israeli reality version of Dancing with the Stars and was the fifth to be eliminated.
Death
On 20 December 2010, Cohen was seriously injured in a motorcycleMotorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
crash. He was taken to Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital, where he was immediately taken into surgery and was reported to be in a critical condition. Johan Elmander
Johan Elmander
Johan Erik Calvin Elmander is a Swedish footballer who plays as a striker for Galatasaray and the Sweden national football team. He joined in a free transfer after his contract with English club Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League expired...
paid tribute to Avi Cohen through a goal celebration on 26 December 2010 when he scored against West Bromwich Albion. Elmander held up a Bolton Wanderers shirt that read on the back – Get Well Soon Avi Cohen. This was due to Cohen's son Tamir currently playing for Bolton.
On 28 December 2010, Ichilov Hospital declared that Cohen was brain dead
Brain death
Brain death is the irreversible end of all brain activity due to total necrosis of the cerebral neurons following loss of brain oxygenation. It should not be confused with a persistent vegetative state...
. His brain death was confirmed by his son Tamir later the same day. Paying tribute to Cohen, Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
said "Avi was a lovely man who will be remembered fondly by everyone at Liverpool who knew him. He quickly integrated himself into the football club when he joined us and spent a lot of time learning English which really made him popular. He was well liked by all the lads and although he didn't spend a long time at the club, he certainly left his mark and no-one will forget how he helped us win the league against Aston Villa. My thoughts and those of everyone connected to the club are with Avi's family." Ally McCoist
Ally McCoist
Alistair Murdoch "Ally" McCoist, MBE ; 24 September 1962) is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Rangers in Scotland....
said "we knew his situation was bad but never for a second did we think it would come to this" before going on to say it was "so sad to hear that he has passed away."
On 28 December 2010, Cohen's heart stopped and he was declared legally dead at 11:00 p.m. IST
Israel Standard Time
Israel Standard Time is the standard time zone in Israel. It is two hours ahead of UTC .-History:...
.
Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
marked the death of Cohen with a period of applause before their Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
on 29 December 2010.
On 24 April 2011, his son Tamir
Tamir Cohen
Tamir Cohen is an Israeli football midfielder who plays for Maccabi Haifa. He is the son of the late Maccabi Tel Aviv and Liverpool player Avi Cohen.-Early career:Cohen started his career in Maccabi Tel Aviv's youth team where in 2001–02 he won the double...
, of the Bolton Wanderers, paid a tribute to his late father after scoring the winner against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and celebrating with a printed T-shirt with his father's face on it.
Club
Maccabi Tel Aviv- Liga Leumit First Division (2): 1976–77, 1978–79
- State CupIsrael State CupThe State Cup , is a knockout cup competition in Israeli football, run by the Israeli Football Association.The State Cup was first held in 1927–28 as the Palestine Cup...
(2): 1976–77, 1986–87
Liverpool
- Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(1): 1979–80 - Charity ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
(2): 1978–79, 1979–80 - European CupUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
(1): 1980–811981 European Cup FinalThe 1981 European Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Real Madrid of Spain on 27 May 1981 at the Parc des Princes, Paris, France. It was the final match of the 1980–81 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the European Cup. Liverpool were appearing in...
Rangers
- League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
(1): 1986–871987 Scottish League Cup FinalThe 1987 Scottish League Cup Final was played on 25 October 1987 at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 42nd Scottish League Cup competition. The final was contested by Aberdeen and Rangers. Rangers won the match 5-3 on penalties after both sides drew 3–3.-Match...