[berko]

Congratulations for Holon! Well, with all the critics Maccabi Tel Aviv were the runner ups of the Euroleague and were defeated by a very strong team like CSKA. Players were without motivation after that defeat. Sherf is an excellent coach and he doesn't need to prove anything to anyone. There wasn't the correct planning this season and that is why Maccabi ended without any titles.

Will Holon play in the Euroleague next season?

 

[berko]

BTW Hapoel Holon will not play in the Euroleague because Maccabi TA have a contract until 2012 with the Euroleague.

Holon qualified for the Uleb Cup, Bnei HaSharon (3rd) will play the quali round for Uleb Cup

A contract? Maccabi Tel Aviv is obviously a team that must be in the Euroleague for all its tradition and history, but to qualify to the Euroleague you sign a contract? It means that the national champions don´t necessary play in the competition, like for example it happens in the Champions League?

 

[berko]

Not only Holon won the championshipo now they want players aswell. Holon declared intrested in Lior Eliyahu who hasn't received much time of play at Maccabi.

 

[berko]

well even i'm a die hard maccabi fan this tel aviv imperia needs to end, i hope other clubs will win the israeli league so it will become more competitive, BUT an important factor is that the ONLY 10,000+ arena we have in israel its nokia arena, they need to built more arenas in the rest of the country if they try to play in euroleague or uleb cup in front of their home fans, there are plans to built another big arena in jerusalem, i hope they do it cause hapoel jerusalem will play euroleague also if they have a proper arena!

That is a good point Shnorrer, only Nokia Arena has capacity for 10,000 or more fans. But don't forget that in basketball we have very few teams who could fill in the arenas. In football maybe it could be different, but in basketball i believe only Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Jerusalem and maybe Hapoel Tel Aviv when they are in a good period. The rest honestly have hard core fans who go to every match, but can't fill in a 10,000 arena.

Of course as a Maccabi fan i wil always want the team to win, but for the league it was good and more intrest and investments could come. Hapoel Jerusalem with Gaidamek already took the State Cup from Maccabi and now Holon wins and announces they want Lior Eliyahu, so this could be good for our league and for our NT.

Just in another news, Nikola Vujcic apparently will leave Maccabi after more than 5 seasons at the club. He will have press conference this week.

And Jerusalem and NT player Guy Pnini could move to Spain and play for Valencia.

 

[berko]

Some Israeli players are refusing to play for Maccabi. What sometime ago was their main dream is now something they avoid. Maccabi will have problems next season.
IMO it was already a surprise when they reached the final against CSKA, especially beacuse they made one of the worst local campaigns in many years.
But the teams are reinforcing themselves and Maccabi still hasn´t signed anyone with impact. Yaniv Green is a good player, but Maccabi will need more in order to reach another Final 4.

 

[berko]

Efi Birnboim?? is he a good coach like as Pini Gershon? or better than him?

Pini Guershon already made his name in european basketball, won the Euroleague and all Israeli competitions, Efi Birnbaum is a good coach that is respected in national scenario, but still has to prove himself in Europe with the big teams. It is a bet from Maccabi and they will need to fight a lot next season in order to have a good european campaign.

 

[berko]

Maccabi's legendary basketball general manager, Moni Fanan is going to leave his job. In his place Gur Shelef who played at Maccabi and in the NT. Shelef was captain of the team that won the Euroleague three years ago and IMO it is a good choice.

Good Luck Gur:thmbup:

 

[berko]

Will Solomon who already had a spell at Maccabi, may return and sign with the club.