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Abraham 'Avi' Cohen, an Israeli international left back, was signed from
Maccabi Tel Aviv for £200, 000 in July 1979 after impressing manager
Bob Paisley in a trial. The move was noteworthy in that he became
Liverpool's first overseas player since South African goalkeeper Robert
Rudham in the mid 1950s. Avi made his first team debut on September 15,
1979, coming on as a sub in a 1-1 League draw at Leeds United but, due
to the impressive form of Alan Kennedy at left back, he did not appear
again until April 23, 1980, when he came on as a half-time substitute
for Colin Irwin in a 2-0 League win at Stoke. Cohen finally made his
Anfield debut on May 3, 1980, in a game that would be his most memorable
in a red shirt. Liverpool needed to beat Aston Villa at Anfield to
retain the League Championship, but, after taking an early lead through
David Johnson, it was Cohen who scored an embarrassing own goal in front
of the Kop to equalise for Villa. However, five minutes into the second
half, Avi made amends by scoring at the right end - again in front of
the Kop - with a low shot through a crowded penalty area. With their
lead restored, Liverpool went to win the game 4-1 and sew up their 12th
title. Unfortunately, Cohen made only four league appearances that
season so he was not entitled to a championship medal.
Avi made his
first appearance of the following season in a 1-1 League draw at
Birmingham City, and retained the left back spot for the next 10 games,
the most notable of which were a 10-1 thrashing of Finnish minnows Oulu
Palloseura in a European Cup tie at Anfield and an exciting 2-2 draw
with Everton in a League game at Goodison Park. He was then replaced by
Alan Kennedy for the European Cup clash away to Scottish champions
Aberdeen on November 5, (a game Liverpool won 1-0), and did not return
to the side until he came on as substitute, ironically for the injured
Kennedy, in the Reds' 4-0 win in the return leg at Anfield a fortnight
later. Avi kept his place for the next four games but after a 4-1
drubbing at Wolves on November 25, he was again replaced by Kennedy and
did not feature in the first team for another two months. However, after
playing in two painful 2-1 defeats in January 1981, away to Everton in
the FA Cup and at home to Leicester in the League - Liverpool's first
loss at Anfield after a record run of 85 games unbeaten - he was dropped
in favour of Richard Money.
Now behind both Money and Kennedy in the
Anfield pecking order, Avi made only one further appearance that season,
in a 2-2 League draw at Brighton on February 21, 1981. This turned out
to be his last game for Liverpool and in November 1981 he returned to
Maccabi Tel Aviv in a £100, 000 deal. In all, Avi made 24 appearances
for Liverpool, scoring one goal - the memorable one that helped defeat
Aston Villa in May 1980 and wrap up back-to-back titles. It was not the
last that British football would see of Cohen though, Graeme Souness
thinking enough of his former Liverpool colleague to take him to Rangers
during his time as manager there. (Martin Greensill).
Years Team Games Goas
1974–1979 Maccabi Tel Aviv
1979–1981 Liverpool 18 (1)
1981–1987 Maccabi Tel Aviv
1987–1988 Rangers 7 (0)
1988–1990 Maccabi Tel Aviv 31 (1)
1990 Maccabi Netanya 3 (0)
Total 56 games 2 goals
On 20 December 2010, Cohen was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash. He was taken to Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital, where he was immediately taken into surgery and was reported to be in a critical condition. On 28 December 2010, Ichilov Hospital declared that Cohen was brain dead.
Teams managed.
1990–1992 Maccabi Netanya
1992–1993 Beitar Tel Aviv
1993–1994 Maccabi Yavne
1994–1995 Ironi Ashdod
1995–1998 Hapoel Kfar Saba
1998–1999 Hapoel Ashkelon
1999–2000 Hapoel Kfar Saba
2001 Maccabi Herzliya
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