Yochanan Vollach
Encyclopedia
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. He was a member of 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...
that competed at the 1970 FIFA World Cup
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
. Today, Vollach is president of the Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa is a sports club in Israel, founded in 1913, and part of the Maccabi association. It runs several sports clubs and teams in Haifa which have competed in a variety of sports over the years, such as Football, Weightlifting, swimming, Tennis, Table tennis, Volleyball, Team handball,...
sport organization as well as being the president and CEO of Newlog, a subsidiary of Israeli shipping company Zim
Zim Integrated Shipping Services
Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. , formerly ZIM Israel Navigation Company Ltd. and Zim American Israeli Shipping Inc., is the biggest cargo shipping company in Israel, and 10th largest in the world...
.
Early Years
Born in Kiryat Bialik, Vollach began his career with his local club, Maccabi Kiryat Bialik. In 1963 , he was drafted to the IDFIsrael Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
's Nahal
Nahal
Nahal is an Israel Defense Forces infantry brigade. Historically, it refers to a program that combines military service and establishment of new agricultural settlements, often in outlying areas...
as an infantry soldier. One of the only a handful of professional footballers to serve in active combat in the Nahal
Nahal
Nahal is an Israel Defense Forces infantry brigade. Historically, it refers to a program that combines military service and establishment of new agricultural settlements, often in outlying areas...
, Vollach actually missed an entire season of football while serving his country. During his service, he won the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
football championship in 1965 . Still quite anonymous, Vollach yearned for a move to a bigger club. By 1965 , at age 19, his rights were sold for 5,000 Israeli lira to Hapoel Haifa, the place where he would kick start his career and become a role model and a symbol for thousands of supporters until this very own day.
Originally a striker, because of his height advantage and large build, he was dubbed "The Tank". He was unable to reach his full potential so he was moved to the defender poistion where he excelled and played til the end of his career. He subsequently won the Israeli State Cup
Israel State Cup
The 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...
competition twice in 1966 and 1974 , and was close several times to winning Liga Leumit
Liga Leumit
Liga Leumit is the second tier in the Israeli football league system below the Premier League.-Structure:There are 16 clubs in the league. At the end of each season, the lowest-placed team are relegated to Liga Alef while the highest-placed team from Liga Alef are promoted in their place...
(then the top division). His most major achievement though, was helping the Israel 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...
qualify for their first World Cup
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
in Mexico in 1970. At the 1970 world cup, Vollach played against Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
. At the following match, Vollach broke his leg in the second half in a though and brutal match from the Swedish
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
(1–1) side, and so the dream of man marking Gigi Riva
Luigi Riva
Luigi Riva , best known as Gigi Riva or by his nickname Rombo di Tuono , is a former Italian footballer, the all-time leading scorer for the Italian national team...
and Gianni Rivera
Gianni Rivera
Giovanni Rivera is an Italian former football midfielder, mostly as an offensive playmaker, who was awarded the Ballon d'Or, one of the most prestigious individual awards in football, in 1969. He played the majority of his career with Serie A side A.C. Milan...
, in the last match against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
was over. Because of his performances on the national stage, Vollach was twice loaned out to other Israeli clubs to strengthen their rosters for the sole purpose of UI Cup games. The first time was in 1976 with Hapoel Be'er Sheva and the second in 1977 with Maccabi Tel Aviv, both Israeli title holders. Over the years, Vollach managed to keep his position as one of the biggest sports stars in Israel.
He began working at Zim
Zim Integrated Shipping Services
Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. , formerly ZIM Israel Navigation Company Ltd. and Zim American Israeli Shipping Inc., is the biggest cargo shipping company in Israel, and 10th largest in the world...
in 1970 after returning from the 1970 FIFA World Cup
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
. At his first week he was assigned to go over employee’s attendance tickets. In 1977 , Vollach transferred from Hapoel Haifa, along with former international player and club captain Yitzhak Englander, to local city rivals 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...
.
Maccabi Haifa
As a seasoned veteran, Vollach served as a role model for young and inexperienced players at MaccabiMaccabi 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...
. He was looked up to for having been a part of the national side
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...
that took part in the World Cup finals
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
. His time though at Maccabi was short, playing only two seasons and, in 1979 , he retired from professional football and began, fully voluntarily, to act as general manager of 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...
. Vollach's unique managing skills and leadership was the major reason that Maccabi went from being a mediocre football club to a successful empire in the top flight, winning their first championship in 1984 and retaining it in 1985 , which Maccabi Haifa also finished at the head of the house in the Intertoto home stage.
During this time, he began to be known as "the brains of Maccabi Haifa".
During the years, Vollach concisely insisted of combining Maccabi's youth players in the senior Squad and also prevented the release of many key players as well as bringing the youth side to its zenith.
Hong Kong F.C.
In 1985, Vollach was promoted in his job at ZimZim Integrated Shipping Services
Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. , formerly ZIM Israel Navigation Company Ltd. and Zim American Israeli Shipping Inc., is the biggest cargo shipping company in Israel, and 10th largest in the world...
, and was sent oversees to become the branch manager and representative of the company's operations in Hong Kong. It was then that he made a return to football, starring at Hong Kong FC
Hong Kong FC
The Soccer Section of Hong Kong Football Club has few teams. The First Team is competitng in Hong Kong Second Division League.-History:...
.
Back to administrative Career
After 5 years in Hong Kong, at 1990 , Vollach returned to IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, where former teammate and club captain, Yitzhak Englander was president of Hapoel Haifa. Englander offered him the position of president of Hapoel, but city rivals, Maccabi, were not eager to see Vollach go, so they appointed him as CFO and chief executive of the team. Over the span of three years (1990–1993), the club won the "double" (league and cup) during the 1990/91 season and the State Cup
Israel State Cup
The 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...
at 1993 . Between 1990–1994, he was volunteering in the management division of the Israeli Football Association
Israel Football Association
The Israel Football Association , also known as IFA, is the governing body of football in Israel. It organizes the football leagues, Israeli Premier League, Israeli State Cup, Toto Cup and the Israeli national football team. The association is based in Ramat Gan...
as well as acting as 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...
's representative at the IFA
Israel Football Association
The Israel Football Association , also known as IFA, is the governing body of football in Israel. It organizes the football leagues, Israeli Premier League, Israeli State Cup, Toto Cup and the Israeli national football team. The association is based in Ramat Gan...
.
After the football department was privatized, Vollach joined the Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa is a sports club in Israel, founded in 1913, and part of the Maccabi association. It runs several sports clubs and teams in Haifa which have competed in a variety of sports over the years, such as Football, Weightlifting, swimming, Tennis, Table tennis, Volleyball, Team handball,...
union's management, filling major positions such as CFO and second to the chairman of board. In 1999 , he was voted in unanimously as chairman of the board of the Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa is a sports club in Israel, founded in 1913, and part of the Maccabi association. It runs several sports clubs and teams in Haifa which have competed in a variety of sports over the years, such as Football, Weightlifting, swimming, Tennis, Table tennis, Volleyball, Team handball,...
union as well as president of the basketball division
Maccabi Haifa B.C.
Maccabi Haifa Basketball Club is a professional Israeli basketball club that belongs to the Maccabi Haifa association. After a 10-year absence, the team returned to the top division in 2008–09.-History:...
of Maccabi Haifa and as a member of the management of the Israeli Basketball Association
Israel Basketball Association
The Israel Basketball Association is the official organization of professional basketball in Israel. The organization oversees the regulation of the sport, team and player registration, rules of the game, various official certification, and the National team...
. Aside from his administrative and work roles, Vollach participated for many years as a sports commentator on the popular Israeli sports radio show, Shirim uSha'arim and was a local journalist.
Vollach owns a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
& Political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from the University of Haifa
University of Haifa
The University of Haifa is a university in Haifa, Israel.The University of Haifa was founded in 1963 by Haifa mayor Abba Hushi, to operate under the academic auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem....
, and a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in business administration from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
. He is also a retired Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
. Among the positions that Vollach filled during his time working for Zim, he has been the global services manager, chairman of the directorate of all Zim's ownership companies and vice president of Zim, and Zim's M.Dizengoff president & CEO. Since 2005 , he has been the president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
& CEO of Newlog, which is a subsidiary of the Zim group, and handles logistic service relating to marine and overland transportation. He still plays football today for Hapoel Haifa's veteran side, which he also trains. Vollach is a member of the Education and Publicity Committee of the IFA
Israel Football Association
The Israel Football Association , also known as IFA, is the governing body of football in Israel. It organizes the football leagues, Israeli Premier League, Israeli State Cup, Toto Cup and the Israeli national football team. The association is based in Ramat Gan...
and a management member of Maccbi
Maccabi World Union
The Maccabi World Union is an international Jewish sports organisation spanning 5 continents and more than 50 countries, with some 400,000 members...
.
In recognition of his extensive volunteering to the sporting community as well as business success, he was bestowed with honorary citizenship by the city of Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, in 1993.
Military
In one of the times during the early 2000s, while serving the IDFIsrael Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
's Military reserve force
Military reserve force
A military reserve force is a military organization composed of citizens of a country who combine a military role or career with a civilian career. They are not normally kept under arms and their main role is to be available to fight when a nation mobilizes for total war or to defend against invasion...
in the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i border, near Modi'in, he was in charge of the company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
which twice prevented several terrorists to penetrate the board in order to commit suicide attacks.
Shooting Incident
At the summer of 1976 , Vollach was strengthening the rosters for the sole purpose of UI Cup games with title holders Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Before the game against Standard LiègeStandard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
in Belgium, the players were staying at the hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
room. Shalom Avitan, Be'er Sheva's player, fooled around with the .22 Short
.22 Short
.22 Short is a variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition. Developed in 1857 for the first Smith and Wesson revolver, the .22 rimfire was the first American metallic cartridge....
Caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
that was in a box on the table and that belonged to the Shabak agent which was guarding the team (after the Munich massacre
Munich massacre
The Munich massacre is an informal name for events that occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Bavaria in southern West Germany, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and eventually killed by the Palestinian group Black September. Members of Black September...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
took no chances). Avitan thought the gun was unloaded and pointed the gun towards Vollach. His hand was moved in the last second and the bullet went an inch away from Vollach's head.
Trophies won in football
Maccabi Haifa & Hapoel Haifa:- 4 x Israeli cup (1966, 1974, 1991, 1993), (1985 runners up)
- 3 x Israeli title (1984, 1985, 1991), (1975 runners up)
- 1 x Israeli Championship of the Champions Cup (1985)
- 1 x Lilian Cup (1984)
- 1 x IDFIsrael Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
title (1965)
Maccabi Haifa youth team:
- 4 x Israeli youth title (1979, 1983, 1984, 1991)
- 3 x Israeli youth cup (1980, 1991, 1993), (1981 runners up)
- 1 x Israeli Championship of the Champions Cup (1984)
Maccabi Haifa basketball team:
- 2 x Israeli Final Four
- 1 x Israeli Cup final (2008–2009)
Major honours
- Best XI in Israel (3 times, determined by Hadashot haSport and Yedioth AhronothYedioth AhronothYedioth Ahronoth is a daily newspaper published in Tel Aviv, Israel. Since the 1970s, it has been the most widely circulated paper in Israel. In a TGI survey comparing the last half of 2009 with the same period in 2008, Yedioth Ahronoth retained the title of most widely read newspaper in Israel...
) - Fair play award in Israel (3 times)
- Hapoel Haifa Best XI Alltime
- Elected by official website poll as Hapoel Haifa's greatest player all time
- Israel Golden JubileeGolden JubileeA Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
Awards: HaifaHaifaHaifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
Best XI - Israel Golden JubileeGolden JubileeA Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
Awards: HaifaHaifaHaifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
Best Defender (All Time) - Honorary citizen of the City of HaifaHaifaHaifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
(1993) - Lifetime contributions special award for the IsraeliIsrael national football teamThe 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...
national team in the 1970 world cup1970 FIFA World CupThe 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
, determined by Yedioth AhronothYedioth AhronothYedioth Ahronoth is a daily newspaper published in Tel Aviv, Israel. Since the 1970s, it has been the most widely circulated paper in Israel. In a TGI survey comparing the last half of 2009 with the same period in 2008, Yedioth Ahronoth retained the title of most widely read newspaper in Israel...
and the Israeli football player association (2007) - Member of the Israeli Football Hall of FameIsraeli Football Hall of FameThe Israeli Football Hall of Fame is Hall of Fame for the best football players in the history of the Israeli football, initiated by sports channel in cooperation with the Israeli Football Players Association in association football in Israel, founded in financing The Israeli Sports Betting Council...
(2009)
See also
- List of select Jewish football (association; soccer) players
External links
Newlog Profile and short biography of Yochanan Vollach on Maccabi Haifa's official website Hall of fame- World cup football cards with Vollach's youth picture from 1970
- Vollach is appointed President & CEO of Newlog company (Hebrew)
- Negotiations for the merger of Transclal and Newlog
See also
Football in IsraelFootball in Israel
Football is the most popular sport in Israel. Football as an organised sport first developed in the United Kingdom who controlled Israel during the days of the British Mandate. Israel will be hosting the UEFA U-21 Championship in 2013....