Avi Ran

Avi Ran was born in 1963 in Haifa

Avi Ran was born in Haifa in 1963. His father, Moshe Ran, had been a goalkeeper at Hapoel Haifa and signed him up with that club. After the family moved to western Carmel, he joined Maccabi Haifa.

He studied at the Mishlav school and won the school football championship with it. In 1979 he won the youth title with Maccabi Haifa and was called up to the Israel youth team.

He made his senior debut in the 1981/1982 season against Maccabi Tel Aviv and kept a clean sheet. Coach Shlomo Scharf later tried to release him, but Yohanan Volach blocked the move. Maccabi Haifa then won its first league title, and in the next season Ran set a club record by conceding 18 goals.

He was named player of the 1985/1986 season, though Haifa lost the title to Hapoel Tel Aviv on the final day. That year he was first called up to the national team, and he played 9 games for it. European clubs, including Liverpool, showed interest in him.

On July 11, 1987, he was killed in the Sea of Galilee near Tiberias when a racing boat hit him. A youth cup, a statue at Ramat Gan Stadium and a field in Haifa bear his name.