Yochanan Vollach

Yochanan Vollach

Personal information
Full name	יוחנן וולך
Date of birth	(1945-05-14)May 14, 1945
Place of birth	Kiryat Bialik,Mandatory Palestine
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
1958–1962	Maccabi Kiryat Bialik
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1962–1965	Maccabi Kiryat Bialik
1965–1977	Hapoel Haifa
1977–1979	Maccabi Haifa	30	(1)
1985–1990	HKFC
International career
1968–1971	Israel	12	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Yochanan Vollach(Hebrew:יוחנן וולך,alsoJochanan WallachorYohanan Wallach,born May 14, 1945) is an Israeli formerfootballer.He was a member of theIsrael national teamthat competed at the1970 FIFA World Cup.He is a member of theIsraeli Football Hall of Fame.

Vollach is President of theMaccabi Haifasports organization, andCEOof the Israeli Chamber of Shipping.

Biography

Born inKiryat Bialik,Vollach began his sports career with his local club, Maccabi Kiryat Bialik. In 1963, he was drafted to theIsrael Defense Forces' (IDF)Nahalas an infantry soldier. One of only a handful of professional footballers to serve in active combat in theNahal,Vollach missed an entire season of football. During his service, he won the IDF football championship in 1965.

In 1965, at age 19, his rights were sold forIL5,000 toHapoel Haifa.Vollach earned aBachelor's degreeinHistory&Political Sciencefrom theUniversity of Haifa,and aMaster's degreeinBusiness Administrationfrom theHebrew University of Jerusalem.He is a retiredMajorin the IDF.

Sports career

Originally a striker, because of his height advantage and large build, he was dubbed "The Tank". He was unable to reach his full potential so he was moved to the defender position where he excelled and played til the end of his career.

He won the IsraeliIsrael State Cupcompetition twice, in 1966 and 1974, and was close several times to winningLiga Leumit(then the top division). His major achievement was helping theIsrael national football teamqualify for their firstWorld Cupin Mexico in 1970. At the 1970 World Cup, Vollach played againstUruguay.At the following match, Vollach broke his leg in the second half in a brutal match against theSwedish(1–1) side, and so the dream of man markingGigi RivaandGianni Rivera,in the last match againstItalywas over. Vollach was twice loaned out to other Israeli clubs to strengthen their rosters for inUI Cupgames. The first time was in 1976 withHapoel Be'er Sheva,and the second in 1977 withMaccabi Tel Aviv,both Israeli title holders.

In the summer of 1976, Vollach was strengthening the rosters for the sole purpose ofIntertoto Cupgames with title holdersHapoel Be'er Sheva.Before the game againstStandard Liègein Belgium, the players were staying at the hotel room. Shalom Avitan, Be'er Sheva's player, fooled around with the.22 Shortcaliberthat was in a box on the table and that belonged to theShabakagent who was guarding the team (after theMunich Massacre,Israel took no chances). Avitan thought the gun was unloaded and pointed it towards Vollach. His hand was moved in the last second and the bullet passed an inch away from Vollach's head.

In 1977, Vollach transferred fromHapoel Haifa,along with former international player and club captain Yitzhak Englander, to local city rivalsMaccabi Haifa.

Vollach is a member of the Education and Publicity Committee of theIsrael Football Associationand a management member ofMaccabi World Union.

Maccabi Haifa

Vollach served as a role model for young and inexperienced players atMaccabi Haifa.He was looked up to for having been a part of thenational sidethat took part in theWorld Cup finals.His time at Maccabi was short, playing only two seasons and, in 1979, he retired from professional football and began, fully voluntarily, to act as general manager of Maccabi Haifa. Under Vollach's management Maccabi went from being a mediocre football club to a successful top ranking team, winning their first championship in 1984 and retaining it in 1985, which Maccabi Haifa also finished at the head of the house in theIntertotohome stage. During this time, he began to be known as "the brains of Maccabi Haifa".

Hong Kong F.C.

In 1985, Vollach was promoted in his job atZim Integrated Shipping Services,and was sent oversees to become the branch manager and representative of the company's operations in Hong Kong. It was then that he made a return to football, starring atHong Kong FC.

Managerial career

After five years in Hong Kong, in 1990, Vollach returned to Israel, where former teammate and club captain, Yitzhak Englander was president ofHapoel Haifa.Englander offered him the position of President of Hapoel, but city rivals, Maccabi, were not eager to see Vollach go, so they appointed him asCFOand chief executive of the team. Over the span of three years (1990–93), the club won the "double" (league and cup) during the 1990/91 season and theIsrael State Cupat 1993. Between 1990 and 1994, he volunteered in the management division of theIsrael Football Associationas well as acting as Maccabi Haifa's representative at theIsrael Football Association.

After the football department was privatized, Vollach joined theMaccabi Haifaunion's management, filling major positions such asCFOand second to the chairman of board. In 1999, he was voted in unanimously as chairman of the board of the Maccabi Haifa union as well as president of thebasketball divisionof Maccabi Haifa and as a member of the management of theIsrael Basketball Association.

Journalism and media career

Aside from his administrative and work roles, Vollach participated for many years as a sports commentator on the popular Israeli sports radio show,Shirim uSha'arimand was a local journalist.

Business career

He began working atZimin 1970 after returning from the1970 FIFA World Cup.At his first week he was assigned to go over employees' attendance tickets. Vollach was global services manager of Zim, chairman of the directorate of Zim's ownership companies, and vice president of Zim, and Zim's M.Dizengoff President & CEO. Since 2005, he has been the President & CEO ofNewlog,which is a subsidiary of the Zim group, and handles logistic service relating to marine and overland transportation.

Awards and recognition

• Best XI in Israel (3 times, determined byHadashot haSportandYedioth Ahronoth)
• Fair play award in Israel (3 times)
• Hapoel HaifaBest XI Alltime
• Elected by official website poll as Hapoel Haifa's greatest player all time
• IsraelGolden JubileeAwards:HaifaBest XI
• IsraelGolden JubileeAwards: Haifa Best Defender (All Time)
• Honorary citizen of theCity of Haifa(1993)
• Lifetime contributions special award for theIsraelinational team in the1970 world cup,determined byYedioth Ahronothand the Israeli football player association (2007)
• Member of theIsraeli Football Hall of Fame(2009)

In recognition of his extensive volunteering to the sporting community as well as business success, he was bestowed with honorary citizenship by the city of Haifa, in 1993.

Football trophies

Maccabi Haifa & Hapoel Haifa:

• 4 x Israeli cup (1966, 1974, 1991, 1993), (1985 runners up)
• 3 x Israeli title (1984, 1985, 1991), (1975 runners up)
• 1 x Israeli Championship of the Champions Cup (1985)
• 1 x Lilian Cup (1984)
• 1 xIDFtitle (1965)

Maccabi Haifa youth team:

• 4 x Israeli youth title (1979, 1983, 1984, 1991)
• 3 x Israeli youth cup (1980, 1991, 1993), (1981 runners up)
• 1 x Israeli Championship of the Champions Cup (1984)

Maccabi Haifa basketball team:

• 2 x Israeli Final Four
• 1 x Israeli Cup final (2008–2009)

See also

• Football in Israel
• Sports in Israel
• List of select Jewish association football (soccer) players

External links

• (in Hebrew)Hall of fame
• World cup football cards with Vollach's youth picture from 1970
• Negotiations for the merger of Transclal and Newlog
• Vollach is appointed CEO of The Chamber of Shipping of Israel