Uri Malmilian facts for kids

Uri Malmilian (Hebrew: אורי מלמיליאן; born April 24, 1957) is a famous Israeli former football player. He also worked as a manager for many teams.

Uri Malmilian's Early Football Days

Uri Malmilian was born in Jerusalem. He grew up in the neighborhood of Mamilla. From a young age, he loved football.

He joined the youth team of Beitar Jerusalem. This was a big step for him. When he was just 16, Uri played his first game for Beitar's main team. In that game, he scored an amazing goal directly from a corner kick!

Becoming a Star Player

Uri became a true football star in 1976. He helped his team, Beitar Jerusalem, finish second in the league. That year, they also won their first important trophy, the Israeli Cup. Uri scored the winning goal in the final game in the last minute!

Because of his amazing skills, Uri was chosen as the "Player of the Season." He was also asked to join the Israel national football team. He was only 18 years old, making 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. They offered him a lot of money. But Uri decided to stay with his beloved Beitar Jerusalem team.

For several years, Uri played alongside two other great players, Danny Neuman and Victor Levy. They were known as a powerful trio on the field.

In 1986, Uri was the top scorer in the Israeli league. He scored 14 goals in 30 matches. The next year, in 1987, he and Eli Ohana helped Beitar Jerusalem win their first-ever league championship!

In 1989, Uri won another Israeli Cup with Beitar. Then, he made a surprising move. He joined a rival team, Maccabi Tel Aviv. With Maccabi, Uri won another championship in 1992. He stopped playing football professionally in 1993.

Uri Malmilian as a Coach

After his playing career, Uri Malmilian became a football manager. He started coaching Hapoel Jerusalem. He helped them move up to the Israeli Premier League, which is the top league in Israel.

He also had success managing Maccabi Netanya. He helped them get promoted to the Israeli Premier League too. However, he left the team because of disagreements with the club's leaders.

Later, Uri managed Hakoah Ramat Gan. He also helped this team reach the Israeli Premier League.

In the 2007-2008 season, Uri coached Hapoel Petah Tikva in the Liga Leumit (the second division). He won the Toto Cup for that league. But he was later fired from the team.

In 2009-2010, he managed Hapoel Ashkelon. He led them to promotion to the Israeli Premier League once again!

In 2010, Uri returned to his old club, Beitar Jerusalem, as their manager. He coached them for the 2010-2011 season but resigned in 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. When they want to say something is of the best quality, they say, "Every apple a Malmilian!" This means it's top-notch, just like Uri's football skills.

Uri Malmilian's Achievements

As a Player

Club Trophies

Beitar Jerusalem

• Israel State Cup (5) : 1976, 1979, 1985, 1986, 1989
• Israeli League Championship: (1): 1986–87
• Israel Super Cup (2): 1976, 1986

Maccabi Tel Aviv

• Israeli League Championship: (1): 1991–92

Individual Awards

• Top Scorer of the League: 2 times
• Israeli Player of the Year: 2 times

As a Manager

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