Israel’s reserve handball team will meet Switzerland today (Saturday) at 17:30 in the semifinals of the European Under-20 Championship, tier B, which is being held in Bulgaria. The reserve qualified for the semi-finals after a record of 1:3 wins and a loss in the early home, and after a dramatic victory over Lithuania, 25:26, from Or Levi’s winning goal in the final seconds.
This game has an interesting angle, regardless of the fact that an Israeli team is playing in it. In the uniform of the opponent, Switzerland, who finished in first place in the corresponding house, will appear Noam Leopold, one of the champions of the championship so far and a player with a promising future. He is the son of Jewish parents, born in Switzerland, and played for the past two years with Yahav Shamir in Winterthur, the outgoing Swiss champion (and also managed to train together with Adir Cohen and Shamir during the team’s championship season two years ago).
This is a 20-year-old left winger, 1.85 m. He has so far scored 20 goals in the championship (including 9 against Ukraine and 6 against North Macedonia), and he also shoots the Swiss’s penalties. He fit in great with the Swiss team, and also played with them in the Europa League last season (scored 26 goals – including 8 against Tetran Prasov from Slovakia and 4 against Fox Berlin).
“He is a very talented player,” said Shamir, “with lots and lots of motivation to succeed. Noam also received a call-up to the extended squad of the senior national team and already at the age of 19 he is playing for one of the leading teams in Switzerland. He arrives first and stays last in the hall. A very sociable guy. He is a good friend of mine and has We have a special connection, perhaps also thanks to religion and closeness to Israel.”
A few months ago, Leopold signed a new contract in Winterthur until 2025, after scoring 73 goals in the past season in the Swiss league. The Swiss team’s website states, “that he is impressive in his high level of efficiency, and in his style of play. A great international career awaits him, towards which he is aiming. He is one of the promising young talents in Swiss handball.”