Issawi Frej to run for Israel Football Association chairmanship

Former minister Issawi Frej announced on Thursday that he will run for the position of chairman of the Israel Football Association as part of a new and independent faction that will take part in the upcoming elections for the association's management. Running alongside him is Liad Ilani, former deputy and acting mayor of Ramat Gan and currently a member of the city council.

According to the faction's announcement, its goal is to lead a change in the management of Israeli football and return the sport to a path of professionalism, transparency, and achievement, alongside investment in the development of the younger generation. Frej will be placed first on the list and will run for the chairmanship of the association, while Ilani will be placed second.

Frej previously served as chairman of the Kafr Qasim sports club, as a member of the Knesset, and as Minister of Regional Cooperation. Ilani previously held the sports and education portfolios in the Ramat Gan municipality and led initiatives for the development of facilities, support for associations, and the promotion of municipal sports.

"Precisely in days of polarization and division, football can be a bridge that connects populations and sectors, between the center and the periphery, and between all parts of Israeli society," said the former minister, who aims to replace the incumbent chairman of the association, Shino Zuares, and added: