Uri Malmilian facts for kids

Uri Malmilian (born April 24, 1957) is a famous Israeli former football player. He also became a successful manager after his playing days. He is known as one of the greatest players in Israeli football history.

Uri Malmilian: Football Legend

Uri Malmilian was born in Jerusalem. He grew up to become a true legend in Israeli football. His amazing skills and leadership made him a hero to many fans.

Early Life and Amazing Career

Uri Malmilian started playing football at a very young age. He joined the youth team of Beitar Jerusalem. This was the start of his incredible journey in the sport.

Rising Star at Beitar Jerusalem

When Uri was just 16 years old, he played his first game for Beitar Jerusalem's main team. In that very first match, he scored an amazing goal directly from a corner kick! This showed everyone how talented he was.

In 1976, Uri became a huge star. He helped Beitar Jerusalem finish second in the league. That year, he also helped them win their first important trophy, the Israeli Cup. He scored the winning goal in the final game in the last minute! Because of his great performance, he was chosen as the Player of the Season. He was also called to play for the Israel national football team when he was only 18. This made him the youngest player ever to join the national team.

In 1979, a big French club, Paris Saint-Germain, wanted Uri to play for them. But Uri decided to stay with his beloved Beitar Jerusalem. For several years, he played alongside two other great players, Danny Neuman and Victor Levy. They formed a powerful team that was very hard to beat.

Winning Championships

In 1986, Uri Malmilian was the top scorer in the Israeli league. He scored 14 goals in 30 games. The next year, in 1987, he teamed up with Eli Ohana to help Beitar Jerusalem win their first-ever league championship!

In 1989, Uri won another Israeli Cup with Beitar. After this, he made a surprising move to a rival club, Maccabi Tel Aviv. With Maccabi, he won another championship in 1992. Uri Malmilian stopped playing football professionally in 1993.

Life as a Coach

After retiring as a player, Uri Malmilian started a new career as a football manager. He had a lot of success helping teams move up to the top league.

• He managed Hapoel Jerusalem and helped them get promoted to the Israeli Premier League.
• He also managed Maccabi Netanya and helped them reach the Israeli Premier League.
• Later, he managed Hakoah Ramat Gan and helped them get promoted to the Israeli Premier League too.
• In the 2007-2008 season, Uri managed Hapoel Petah Tikva. He won the Toto Cup for that league, but he left the team later that season.
• In the 2009-2010 season, he managed Hapoel Ashkelon and once again helped them get promoted to the Israeli Premier League.
• In 2010, Uri returned to his old club, Beitar Jerusalem, as their manager. He stayed until January 2011.

A True Jerusalem Icon

Uri Malmilian is seen as a huge symbol for football fans in Jerusalem. He is so famous that even today, vendors in the Mahane Yehuda Market have a special saying: "Every apple a Malmilian." This means that every apple they sell is of the very best quality, just like Uri's football skills!

Awards and Trophies

Uri Malmilian won many awards and trophies during his career as both a player and a manager.

Player Achievements

• With Beitar Jerusalem:
  • Israel State Cup (5): 1976, 1979, 1985, 1986, 1989
  • Israeli Championship: (1): 1986–87
  • Israel Super Cup (2): 1976, 1986
• With Maccabi Tel Aviv:
  • Israeli Championship: (1): 1991–92
• Individual Awards:
  • Top Scorer of the League (2 times)
  • Israeli Player of the Year (2 times)

Manager Achievements

• Israeli Second Division:
  • Winner (1): 1998–99
  • Runner-up (3): 1995–96, 2005–06, 2009–10
• Toto Cup (Leumit):
  • Winner (1): 2007