Avraham Klein, the most decorated referee Israeli football has produced, was presented with a shield of appreciation by the Israel Football Players Organization, ONE reported, as the union honored what it called his exceptional contribution to the game and to international officiating.
"Today's meeting, and especially receiving a shield of appreciation from an organization that represents football players and athletes, moves me particularly," Klein said on receiving the award, according to ONE.
Nir Alon, head of the Histadrut's Sports Division, which oversees the players' organizations across Israeli football, basketball, volleyball and handball, called Klein "a symbol of excellence, integrity and professionalism, who represented the State of Israel with honor on the biggest stages in the world."
Moshiko Mishalov, the IFPO's chief executive, put it more simply: "Everyone who has lived Israeli football grew up with the name Avraham Klein." He added that Klein set standards of professionalism that inspired generations of players and officials who followed him.
The tribute is the latest in a long line of honors for a man widely regarded as the finest referee Israel has ever produced. Klein was born in Timișoara, Romania, in March 1934, survived the Holocaust as a child and immigrated to Israel in October 1948 at the age of 13.
He went on to officiate at three FIFA World Cups. At Mexico 1970 he took charge of the group-stage meeting between holders Brazil and England, won 1-0 by the Brazilians, and served as fourth official for Brazil's 4-1 win over Czechoslovakia in the same tournament.
At Argentina 1978 he refereed matches including Argentina against Italy, and was widely seen as a leading candidate to take charge of the final itself — until the host nation objected to his appointment.
His defining moment came at Spain 1982, when he refereed Italy's 3-2 win over Brazil in the second round, a match still remembered as one of the greatest in World Cup history. He was later named fourth official for the final, in which Italy beat West Germany 3-1 to lift the trophy.
Klein's standing with FIFA has endured well beyond his playing days on the pitch. He received a special FIFA award in 1984, was made an honorary citizen of Haifa in 2010, saw items from his personal collection go on permanent display at the FIFA Museum in Zurich in 2017, and was appointed an honorary ambassador of the museum in 2022 — a role in which, ONE noted, he has continued to represent Israeli football at major international fixtures.
The IFPO shield adds a domestic honor from the game's current players to a career already decorated at the highest level of world football, a reminder of how deeply Klein's name remains woven into Israeli football's sense of itself.
