Avi Cohen

Cohen was born in Cairo in 1956 and came to Israel with his family when he was one year old.[4][5] He grew up in Tel Aviv’s Salama G neighborhood, later called Ramat HaShikma, and developed as a footballer in Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth system.[5][1] He made his senior-team debut during the 1973/74 season.[1]

Cohen won a league championship and State Cup double with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 1976/77 season, followed by another league championship in 1978/79.[2] Playing in central defense, he became a team leader whose contribution included dribbling and helping to launch attacks.[1] One of his remembered moments at Maccabi was a powerful volley in a Tel Aviv derby against Hapoel.[1] His performances during the 1978/79 championship season helped bring about his transfer to Liverpool.[1]

In 1979, Cohen joined Liverpool for a reported $450,000, becoming the first Israeli footballer to play in England’s top division.[1][3] Former teammate Moshe Schweitzer later recalled Cohen taking him aside after a derby victory and whispering, “I don’t want you to read tomorrow’s headlines without being updated.”[6] Cohen then told Schweitzer that he had been taken from the stadium to meet a Liverpool representative.[6]

After a week training under manager Bob Paisley, Cohen made his Liverpool debut against Leeds on September 15, 1979, replacing the absent Ray Kennedy.[4] He faced competition for a place in the lineup and played at left back when selected.[1] In the 4–1 victory over Aston Villa that secured the 1979/80 league title, his own goal brought the score to 1–1, but he then scored Liverpool’s next goal to put the side ahead 2–1.[1]

Cohen played in 14 league matches during the 1980/81 season, when Liverpool also won the European Cup.[4] He appeared in the competition’s qualifying and earlier stages but remained on the bench for the final.[5] He returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv in November 1981; the club paid $180,000 to bring him back.[4][1]

In 1987, Cohen joined Glasgow Rangers, recruited by Graeme Souness, his former Liverpool teammate.[1] He made 15 appearances for Rangers before returning to Israeli football, where he again played for Maccabi Tel Aviv and also played for Maccabi Netanya.[5][1] He retired during the 1989/90 season.[5]

Alongside his club career, Cohen made 64 appearances for Israel, captaining the national team in 33 of them.[3] He played at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, where Israel reached the quarterfinals, and participated in qualification tournaments for the 1982 and 1986 World Cups.[7][1]

After retiring, Cohen coached several Israeli clubs, including Beitar Tel Aviv, Maccabi Yavne, Ironi Ashdod, Hapoel Kfar Saba, Hapoel Ashkelon, and Maccabi Herzliya.[1] Hapoel Kfar Saba finished ninth under him in the 1997/98 season.[1] He was also a founder of the Israeli footballers’ organization and served for years as its chairman, working to advance players’ social rights.[2][7]

On December 20, 2010, Cohen was severely injured in a motorcycle collision in Ramat Gan and taken to Ichilov Hospital with a serious head injury.[2] A Ministry of Health committee declared him brain-dead on December 28; his heart stopped in the early hours of December 29, when he was 54.[4][3]

Thousands of mourners joined his funeral procession, and hundreds filed past his coffin during a memorial ceremony at Ramat Gan Stadium.[2][3] The stadium had also been associated with memorable moments from his Maccabi Tel Aviv career.[3] At the funeral, his son Tamir said: “You carried the name Cohen with so much honor on your back for 54 years. Today I swear to you: I will continue to carry that name.”[7]

Cohen’s career combined pioneering participation in English football with leadership at Maccabi Tel Aviv and on Israel’s national team.[4][1] His later work as chairman of the footballers’ organization extended his involvement in the sport beyond playing and coaching to the advancement of players’ social rights.[2]

Cohen’s participation in a Liverpool league match against Southampton on Yom Kippur prompted public controversy in Israel and dismay among members of Britain’s Jewish community.[1][8] The match ended in a 2–2 draw.[1]

A traffic court later found Cohen responsible for the collision between his motorcycle and a Fiat on Jabotinsky Street in Ramat Gan.[7] In its findings, the court stated that his helmet came off on impact and that the outcome might have been different had it been worn and fastened correctly.[7]