The new head coach met this morning the children from the north of the country in a special event in Hadar Yosef
Neven Spahija, Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv new head coach, visited this morning the Hadar Yosef Sports Center in Tel Aviv where he met children from the troubled north of the country who were guests of the club. Spahija was accompanied by his assistants Guy Goodes & Daniel Gutt, club president Shimon Mizrahi & vice president Mony Fanan. The Croatian coach was very moved to meet with the children and said: “These children have the right to grow like everybody else and play basketball without the threats of rockets”. Mizrahi talked to the Media. “The problem with the players who are reluctant to sign for us because of the hostilities in the north of the country are second rate right now. We are an Israeli team, and our country is in a state of war which hopefully will end with positive results. When it is over, we will be able to complete our roster”. Spahija will stay in Tel Aviy until the weekend. After meeting with his assistants he said: “We have a lot of work ahead of us when we get down to training in September. It will not be easy to take over from Pini Gershon who led Maccabi to the top of European Basketball. We lost players like Parker, Solomon & Baston but I believe that we will bring good players and will build a new team in the tradition of Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv”. Spahija, who arrives in Tel Aviv after an excellent season in Vilnius where he won the Lithuanian League & Cup double, is convinced that Yotam Halperin will play for the team in the coming season. He also hopes that Maccabi will be able to sign Croatian International point guard Zoran Planinic who is still under contract with the New Jersey Nets.
