-840x425.jpg)
Today marks the fourth anniversary of the tragic death of one the club's greatest ever players, Avi Cohen
December 29th 2010 will be remembered as one of the saddest days in the history of Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club, and of Israeli football as a whole. On that day the country lost one of its greatest ever football players, the late Avi Cohen, who died under tragic circumstances. Not only a great footballer, Avi Cohen was an exemplary figure and one of the most influential footballers ever to wear the Maccabi Tel Aviv kit. He established his reputation as an attacking defender, which earned him the nickname "Libero", from the Italian word for "free", or a more versatile type of centre-back, now common in modern football. One of Cohen's more memorable goals came during the Tel Aviv Derby against Hapoel Tel Aviv in the 1978/79 season, when in front of 20,000 spectators and in a pouring rain he followed up on striker Moshe Goldenberg's 67th minute goal and six minutes later struck a high ball with his right foot into the Hapoel net to seal Maccabi's 2-0 victory.
Avi Cohen played for Maccabi for fifteen seasons, twice winning the Israeli Premier League title and the prestigious State Cup. With English giants Liverpool FC he won a league title in the 1979/80 season, the Community Shield (a match between the league and FA Cup winners) in 1979 and 1980, the UEFA Cup Winners Cup in the 1980/81 season and finally, with Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers, the League Cup in 1987. He also made 64 appearances for the Israel national team between the years 1976 and 1988, scoring one goal. After retiring from active play in 1990, Avi Cohen served as chairman of the players' union and embarked upon a managerial career that spanned a decade and saw him take on the coaching duties at eight different first and second division Israeli clubs.
After his tragic death in a road accident in December 2010, Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club took the decision to enshrine his name with the club's Youth Division, where Avi Cohen took his first steps towards becoming one of the finest footballers the country has ever known. On March 6th 2012, the Division's training facilities were renamed the Avi Cohen Youth Department Complex.
