Avi Cohen joined the Maccabi Tel Aviv youth system at the age of nine and played for many years in the various youth teams of the club. His maiden appearance for the senior squad came in March 1974 against HaKoach Ramat Gan at the National Stadium in Ramat Gan. His maiden goal would not come until his second season for the club, but it was a match-winner in a 1-0 Maccabi victory over Hapoiel Hadera. From that point on Cohen had 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.

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 67^th minute goal and six minutes later struck a high ball with his right foot into the Hapoel net and sealed Maccabi's 2-0 victory. The same season he celebrated with the club his second league championship: Two years earlier he had won the double and later, in the 1986/87 season, he would win the Israel Football Association (IFA) Cup. In between 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.

Before retiring from football at the beginning of the 1990's, Avi Cohen returned for one more term at Maccabi Tel Aviv. He also made 64 appearances for the Israel national team between the years 1976 and 1988, scoring one goal. On the 20^th of December 2010 Avi Cohen was seriously injured in a road accident when his moped was struck by a commercial vehicle and died from his injuries nine days later, aged 54.

picture courtesy of the Israel Football Association archives