For many years, Amit Scharf waited for the opportunity of his life to stand on the sidelines as a head coach. The man who began his career immediately after his discharge from the army as a coach and team manager in the children and youth departments of Ironi Nes Ziona, served as an assistant coach at Hapoel Holon for five years and in the summer took over the team he had been waiting for. This evening (Tuesday), Hapoel Holon will take to the parquet in its "home" arena in Hungary for the moment of truth of its European season, the third and decisive game of the play-in series against Belgian side Ostend, the most important game of Sharfi's career as a coach.
For a long time, Scharf prepared for the moment of truth, but as fate would have it, a surprising war broke out and disrupted all plans. The young coach, who took over in a summer of many changes on the pitch, accompanied by quite a few off-court concerns that hovered over the club, had to say goodbye to the team's two stars, Chris Johnson and Joe Ragland, the pillars that were significant factors on the way to Holonia's historic championship in 2022. "We all wanted to see Chris and Joe continue, they were central figures here," Scharf told Israel Hayom at the end of the summer.
Charges Chapter 63
After parting ways with the star duo, the club landed Amin Noah and Amed Kaiber as the two main players for the upcoming season, and as such their salaries were the highest in the team. But the war led the two flashy procurement players to leave. The team was constantly engaged in intensive persuasion in order to bring the rest of the players back to Israel, and thus Scharf found himself functioning as a kind of psychologist for the players alongside his role as the team's coach.
"It wasn't an easy decision because of the war, but after talking to my coach, management and family, I decided to come back. As soon as I got off the plane I had a good feeling, I realized I had made the right decision. There are situations in which I find myself explaining to family and friends the reality in Israel, because sometimes on the news in the United States it looks bad and scary," Justin Smith told Israel Hayom.
Justin Smith. Also returned thanks to a conversation with Scharf, photo: Udi Zitiat
Those around the team know that the decision to allow foreigners to return to Israel for a few days after the game against Brogan as a short trial period, after which they will decide for themselves whether they feel safe enough, was the reason for their agreement to return and even stay in Israel today, because the weekend they spent together solidified them and was relatively quiet.
"No coach at the club has gone through what Scharf has gone through this season. The combination of war and games away from home. The economic expenses of the war on the team, estimated at hundreds of thousands of shekels, these things also affected the squad in the end, there is no choice. The foreigners who arrived are less expensive and proven than those who left. At a war stage you are forced to compromise in the selection of players. Despite all this we started the European season great, we made beautiful victories that surprised us too. At the end of the day we are one win away from qualifying for the Top 16, last year we were in the exact same spot, two years ago, and from there we reached the Final Four, so this season is successful," the team said.
Resin. Waited years for an opportunity, photo: Oded Karni
"For me, this is the third year in a row that I've reached a decisive game in the play-in stage, this time as a head coach. I really like the class, the level of focus and concentration of the team is the highest and you come as prepared as possible. There's pressure but it's positive pressure, that's what makes us professionals, leave everything else aside and be ready," shared Amit Scharf. "I think basketball and my solutions to that pressure is basketball. I know Hapoel Holon should be in the top 16, we don't want to finish the European season now. We want to go to the pitches like Murcia and Athens, and hope to host here at the end of the season, we will come with everything we have to win," concluded the coach.
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Resin. "A successful season", photo: Oded Karni
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