Israel bank on Gutman for EURO 2016 qualifying

The Israel Football Association (IFA) has confirmed that Eli Gutman will be in charge for UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying.

Gutman, who has been at the helm since the end of 2011, oversaw Israel's FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, where they finished third in their section. "The honour and the challenges that come with the job are well known to me, and will bind me and the players," said Gutman.

The 55-year-old has his sights set on guiding Israel to the European finals for the first time. "I promise we will do all that we can," said Gutman, who counts Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC and AEL Limassol FC among his former clubs. "Our goal is to be part of the EUROs in 2016, nothing less. We will wait for next month's draw and then we will know a lot more. I want to promise the fans in Israel that the team under my guidance will be a source of pride for us all." The qualifying draw takes place in Nice on Sunday 23 February.