Last season, we finished 6th in Liga Gimmel (see standings - in Hebrew), despite the league not being completed due to the Coronavirus.
Inter Pro official picture for season 2019/20
Overall, it was our best season to date and of the 10 games played against teams who finished above us in the league, we won 8, drew 1 and lost 1. However, it was our results against the lower teams in the division that prevented us from maintaining a title or promotion challenge and this will have to be addressed if we are to seriously consider finishing in the top few positions this time around.
Eli Mashan, who served as Head Coach for the last two seasons, left the club over the summer and we thank him for his hard work. He has been replaced by David Martane, whose impressive resume includes coaching roles for the Israeli national team, Beitar Jerusalem, Charlton Athletic in the English Championship and Standard Liege in the Belgian first division. The Frenchman will take over full coaching responsibilities and has targeted to win the Liga Gimmel title.
In terms of the squad itself, most players continue to don the blue and white uniform this season, with the majority of the squad now having played together for at least three seasons. The likes of Ilan Abraham, Dandy Okougo and Oded Pozis represent the more experienced players in the team, while captain Sam Sank, Gaston Hilman, Fernando Zatz, Jaime Kauffman, Ariel Peretz, Beni Polnauer and Andy Gabay remain from the club’s first-ever season in Liga Gimmel.
Pre-season training has begun this week, with fitness trainer Gabo Terkieltaub getting the players in shape ahead of the mid-October start. Brazilian magician Fernando Zatz remains on the sidelines as he recovers from an ACL tear, but the remainder of the squad is fit to play.
There may be a couple of new additions to the team as the season draws closer, with head coach Martane looking to bolster the squad and improve on last season’s finish. This upcoming season is our 5th year in the Israeli Federation