The Israel National Team will face Austria tomorrow (Thursday) in its opening match of the 2026-27 Nations League. This will be the first of four games that the blue-and-white will play in less than two weeks with a pari of clashes against Ireland as well as one match versus Kosovo on tap.

Israel Head Coach Ran Ben Shimon and national team star Manor Solomon of West Ham United spoke at the pre-match press conference, discussing preparations, the state of the team and expectations ahead of the campaign.

On his feelings ahead of the national team’s matches, Ben Shimon said, “Before every game and every camp, I get excited. I’m excited to be with these guys every time.”

Regarding the absences in defense the bench boss added, “There won’t be any absences in defense; good players will step up. I’m trying to focus on the players who are here. Up until we arrived, we did everything possible to bring the best players. When injuries happen, which is part of the game, there are other outstanding defenders. We have experienced players who know how to deal with everything. I trust them.”

Ben Shimon also addressed the late arrival of players from the United States who are playing in the MLS, “It’s unusual for the players from the USA to have arrived only now, but it’s not in our hands. Yom Kippur is a very important day for Jews and there’s nothing we can do. I hope we’ll overcome it this.”

On the Austrian opponent Ben Shimon commented, “Austria has excellent players, and we’ve prepared for them. We’re emphasizing team preparation rather than focusing on individual players. All of our preparation has been based on the strengths and weaknesses that we can exploit against the Austrians. Both national teams have strengths, not just the Austrians. They’re an attacking team that presses, but we also have intelligent and experienced players who know how to perform under pressure.”

The blue-and-white tactician also talked about the journey his team is on, “We’re moving forward in the present and toward the future, not looking at the past. We’ve come a long way and made progress so that we know how to deal with the pressure and the level of competition. I want to see an efficient and intelligent team that understands the game and finds solutions. Above all, I want to see a brave team.”

Manor Solomon also shared his thoughts about Austria and about how Israel has been developing, “Austria is missing a few players, but they still have plenty of excellent players. We believe in ourselves and hope to win the game. I’m here to win. I’m a footballer and I’m focused only on the game, not politics. We’ve built something strong over the past few years. We’re improving from game to game and want to continue that progress. We really want to get the campaign off to a good start.”

Regarding his own personal start to the season in the Championship, Solomon said, “I’ve had an excellent start to the season. I feel good physically and want to give everything to the national team. The staff is preparing us wonderfully for this game and I truly believe in us. We have a lot of good players who are in good form. We’re capable of doing amazing things.”

Solomon also discussed how the national team has changed since Ben Shimon took charge, “Since Ran and the staff arrived, we’ve been becoming more of a team rather than just a national side. We know what we need to do with and without the ball, even in difficult moments. We haven’t achieved great things in recent years, but we believe it’s possible.”

The star also spoke about his connection with Oscar Gloukh, “Oscar and I have been playing together for the national team for years. With every call-up, our connection gets stronger and better. We’ve become friends off the pitch, and that shows on the field. We’re capable of being good both offensively and defensively.”

Israel Football Association Chairman Shino Zuaretz gathered the players together to share some of his thoughts about the upcoming Nations League campaign, “This is the mission of our lives, the mission of my life. We’ve all been focused on this moment, the Euro 2028 campaign. This is my goal, and I want you to understand how much we’re doing to reach the Euros. It’s all in your hands.”

“We have a winning staff here and a group of winners. If you want to write your names in the history books, remember what people remember about those who were in Mexico in 1970. They’ll remember you for this your entire lives. You can make this history. I want your passion, but get it into your heads that this is the mission of your lives. Give everything you can. Whether you play one minute or 20, give it your all so that we can be the first [Israeli team] to reach the Euros.”

The expected starting lineup: Daniel Peretz, Guy Mizrahi, Idan Nachmias, Nikita Stoyanov, Roy Revivo, Eliel Peretz, Dor Peretz, Oscar Gloukh, Manor Solomon, Anan Khalaili, Sayed Abu Farchi.