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Israel Cohen

Israel Cohen is a former Israeli footballer who played as a center back and won the league and cup double with Hapoel Tel Aviv in 1999/2000.

born 1971Hapoel Tel Aviv's 1999/2000 doubleThe Israel Cohen affair

Born: 16 December 1971, Lod
Occupation: association football player

Israel Cohen was born in 1971 in Lod

Israel Cohen was born on December 16, 1971, and grew up in Lod. He came up through the youth team of Ayelet Lod and then moved to the youth department of Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv.

In 1993 he joined Maccabi Herzliya and played there for 4 seasons before Hapoel Tel Aviv signed him. In his second season there, 1999/2000, the club won the league and the cup. He then spent one season at Beitar Jerusalem and moved to Hapoel Haifa.

On February 18, 2002, Hapoel Haifa lost the city derby to Maccabi Haifa after a late penalty given for Cohen's repeated fouls. He was suspended and police opened an investigation on suspicion that he had fixed the match. The prosecution later closed the case for lack of evidence.

He later played for Maccabi Kafr Kanna and Hapoel Rishon LeZion. He announced his retirement from professional football in 2009 but kept playing in the lower leagues until 2011. He then worked as a cargo officer at El Al, and in 2020 he was named coach of the new club Moadon Sport Ramla.