Soccer / Prodigy Assulin shuns national team

The Israel Football Association yesterday accused the father of Barcelona midfielder Guy Assulin of ordering his 18-year-old son to shun a U21 national team match and implied that it may affect the young talent's future IFA standing. "He wants to extend his son's holiday," the IFA said in a press release, referring to Assulin's father. "We're very disappointed by his behavior and that of his son."

Capped at age 17

At age 17 Assulin became the youngest player to ever play for the national team when he was sent in as a sub in a friendly against Chile last year. But when, a few weeks ago, the U21 squad summoned him for its European Championship qualifier against Bulgaria next Wednesday, he ignored the invitation. IFA officials said yesterday that they received no request from the player's club for him to be dismissed from the encounter and the decision not to take part in the match was made by the Assulins.

The IFA drew comparisons between Assulin, who plays for Barcelona's reserve squad, and other Israeli players who succeeded abroad yet showed up regularly when they received summons for the national team.

"It's a shame that Guy is acting completely different from Eyal Berkovic who did everything he could to play even when he was with Celtic or [Liverpool's] Yossi Benayoun who even played injured," the IFA said. "We're just disappointed."