MS Ashdod owner Jackie Ben Zaken did not share team coach Ronnie Ewat with the decision to sign Ren Ben Shimon • Team player: "We did not see it coming. Four coaches at half-time is not something normal"

• Old Ben with Ben Shimon, tonight. Appointment by surprise?

  Photo:

  Liron Moldovan

MS Ashdod announced Tuesday the appointment of Ren Ben Shimon as the team coach for a two and a half year contract and he will be on the lines already in the upcoming league game against Maccabi TA on Saturday in Bloomfield. The decision on the appointment was made by owner Jackie Ben Zaken, who did not share the issue with current coaches Ronnie Owatt and Moshe Ohayon. Neither did Eli Levy, who has been on the sidelines for the past few weeks due to a medical problem that Avat suffers from.

Old Ben invited the professional team to a call when all the details with Ben Shimon were summed up and after meeting with Avat a formal announcement was made. "The move came as a surprise to everyone," admitted one of the players in the group, adding: "We didn't see it coming. We talked to ourselves about whether Eli Levy would continue until the end of the season, because we had a good connection with him, Ben Shimon's. Four coaches at half-time is something unusual. "

Old Ben's associates say he has not experienced much landed moments this season. In internal conversations, he made it clear, even to his coaches, that from the existing faculty and after his financial investments, they should have achieved better results. Beyond that, the friendship and consideration of Ronnie Owat's health condition has been in the background in recent months. Old Ben did not want to land a coach on Avat's head, but when he realized that Avat was unable to regain his resolve, the decision was made to retard a figure in Ran Ben Shimon.

Ronnie Avat with Eli Levy, tonight. No Loop // Photo: Liron Moldovan

The connection with Ran Ben Shimon came out of nowhere. Associates with the coach and old son said that since Ben Shimon left Ashdod he has remained in good contact with the owners. "Jackie and Ren got along just fine the last time he coached Ashdod, and they believe that will be the case this time, so Jackie will have to get less involved."

For Ben Shimon himself, the first option was not Ashdod. Having recently coached the Cyprus team, several teams in the Cypriot league have expressed interest in him, but his financial demands have been too high for them. This slot comes with an old son who will pay his new coach an estimated NIS 70,000 a month.