Reuven Atar (; born 3 January 1969) is an Israeli football manager and former player. As a player, he played as a midfielder, most notably with Maccabi Haifa. As a manager, he's mostly known for having five spells with Maccabi Netanya.
Early life Atar was born in Tirat Carmel, Israel, to Sephardic Jewish immigrant parents from Iraq. During his adolescence, he played football for the Maccabi Haifa youth club. For many, he is one of the greatest players to ever wear the Haifa colors.
Playing career After playing eight seasons for Maccabi Haifa and winning three titles for the club (the Toto Cup, and the Israel State Cup twice – one of which as both a Cup and a championship title at the same year), he joined the local rival team – Hapoel Haifa for four seasons, before being signed off to Beitar Jerusalem. At Beitar he played only one match before being injured, which rendered him unable to play during the rest of the season.
In the next season, Atar moved to Hapoel Petah Tikva for a single season, before moving back to Hapoel Haifa and a few months later back to Beitar Jerusalem, where he became one of the most popular players. In 2000, he returned to Maccabi Haifa, winning two championships. Atar left Haifa for Maccabi Netanya before the 2002–03 season, the last team in his professional career as a player.
Coaching career During the season at Maccabi Netanya, Atar was injured and decided to retire from his career as a player. He quickly signed as assistant coach at Maccabi Netanya, first alongside Gili Landau and later on Eli Cohen. At the end of the 2003–04 season, Cohen left the club, and Atar was chosen as the club's head-coach. Even though Netanya was relegated at the end of that season to the second league in Israel, Liga Leumit, Atar remained in his position and helped the club return to the Premier League after one season. In 2006, Atar was sent home by Netanya's new manager, Eyal Berkovich, and proceeded to move and coach Maccabi Herzliya, from which he was fired after eight league games before returning to Netanya, later guiding the club to the second place in the Israeli Premier League, and the UEFA Cup Qualifying rounds.
Atar was later dismissed from Netanya, after team's owner Daniel Jammer signed Lothar Matthäus.
In September 2008, he signed for Beitar Jerusalem replacing Itzhak Shum. Later that year he won the Israeli Cup, but was dismissed and replaced by Shum.
On 29 September 2009, Atar returned once again to Maccabi Netanya, making it his third stint as the manager of the club. On 7 May 2011, he broke Netanya's undefeated streak from 1971 as he managed the team for 16 straight games without losing a match.
On 23 April 2012, he signed a two-year contract for his home club of Maccabi Haifa. In 13 November he was sacked from Haifa.
On 19 March 2013, he returned to Maccabi Netanya for his fourth stint as the manager of the club.
In the start of the 2014–15 season he worked as the manager of Hapoel Haifa. He was fired after four months on the job.
On 6 November 2015, Atar returned to Maccabi Netanya for his fifth stint as the manager of the club.
Career statistics
Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition:ClubSeasonLeagueIsrael State CupToto CupEuropeTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsMaccabi Haifa1986–874110101987–8816221621988–8927894101989–9023222611990–9130155164341991–92281360401992–93311051411993–94378105251Hapoel Haifa1994–9519532221995–96272121211996–9761Maccabi Haifa1996–97186312Hapoel Haifa1997–98115Beitar Jerusalem1997–9810Hapoel Petach Tikva1998–992754052Hapoel Haifa1999–20005200003082Beitar Jerusalem1999–2000165100000175Maccabi Haifa1999–20001323000001622000–013530021213952001–0218110311022Maccabi Netanya2002–032190032002411Career total423113
International + Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsIsrael1989201990301991001992101993121199460199531199651199710Total333
Scores and results list Israel's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Atar goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Reuven AtarNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 13 October 1993 Parc des Princes, Paris, France 3–2 1994 FIFA World Cup 2004 qualifying2 20 September 1995 Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, Israel 3–1 Friendly3 21 February 1996 Kiryat Eliezer Stadium, Haifa, Israel 4–2 Friendly
Managerial statistics
TeamNatFromToRecordPWDLWin %Maccabi Netanya21 February 200414 May 2006Maccabi Herzliya21 July 20067 November 2006Maccabi Netanya3 January 20071 June 2008Beitar Jerusalem3 September 200826 May 2009Maccabi Netanya29 September 200912 May 2012Maccabi Haifa1 July 201213 November 2012Maccabi Netanya19 March 201318 May 2013Hapoel Haifa12 May 201416 February 2015Maccabi Netanya6 November 201510 January 2016Hapoel Afula20 January 20172 August 2017Ashdod3 August 20173 October 2017Total
Honours
Player Maccabi Haifa Israeli Premier League: 1988–89, 1990–91, 1993–94, 2000–01, 2001–02 State Cup: 1991, 1993; runner-up 1987, 1989, 2002 Toto Cup: 1993–94
Manager Maccabi Netanya Toto Cup (Leumit): 2004–05 Israeli Second Division runner-up: 2004–05 Israeli Premier League runner-up: 2006–07, 2007–08
Beitar Jerusalem State Cup: 2009
References
External links