Ran Ben Shimon sets top-two target for Israel in Nations League campaign

The Israel National Team will open its Nations League campaign on Thursday with an unprecedentedly demanding international window that will see the Blue-and-White play four matches in just 17 days due to UEFA's new international format.This year marks the first time that the September and October international windows have been combined into one elongated period, eliminating an additional week away from domestic league play that had been the case in previous years. The November window remains unchanged, with two matches to be played as in years past.Ahead of the quartet of games, Israel head coach Ran Ben Shimon spoke at length about the demanding schedule, his squad selection, the team's goals, the challenges of playing abroad and several other issues surrounding the national team.Ben Shimon acknowledged the physical and personal demands facing his players, particularly with the Jewish holidays falling during the international window.“It's not the first time we've had…