He stated that he would only play in Jerusalem and even buy shares in the club. • Later he was interested in buying an apartment in the Tel Aviv Towers, came to Maccabi Euroleague's game - and documented everything in the story.

• Jehoshaphat receives the Israeli ID

  Photo:

  Tzahi Miriam

The sleepy and scattered season of the Israeli Premier League received a particularly surprising twist yesterday. Maccabi Tel Aviv signed Amara Stodmaier, if you want the symbol of Hapoel Jerusalem and the most loved player in the two years he played there, and also a shareholder in the team.

"I will only play Hapoel Jerusalem," Stodmeyer declared a year ago, and it is now becoming clear that not only is a word for politicians, but also for big-name, non-circumcised athletes, but with an Israeli passport. In politics, elections are waiting for March 2. The league will now be waiting for March 8, when Maccabi Tel Aviv is strengthened at Stodmeyer to reach the Pis Arena.

"I stopped referring to Studmeyer's craze even before the opening of the previous season," one of Hapoel Jerusalem's men told me last season. "He asked me to look for an apartment for him in the new Tel Aviv towers, in Tzameret Park. When I asked him 'How exactly do you get to workout and play in Jerusalem every day? Is the traffic from Tel Aviv to the capital sometimes a nightmare? ' He replied: "Soon my heavy motorcycle is coming from the US, so there will be no problem."

Studmeyer. Won the championship with Hapoel Jerusalem // Photo: Alan Shiber

Amara's enthusiasm for TA also continued during last season when he visited Maccabi vs Basconia's game in December 2019. He did not stop filming the game: the audience, the cast, and everything he posted in his own Instagram account. "I would love to be part of this experience. ", He said at the same game. The problem is that his ability, especially in the final stages of the season, drove the Yellow Heads to touch him, especially after the play by Damon Simpson, then in the Rashf Maccabi uniform, facing him in the Final Four semifinals.

But now that five players from Tel Aviv are disabled at least until March (Omri Caspi, Yuval Sussman, John Dibertolomeo, Nate Walters and Tariq Black), and Janis Sparopoulos remains with only two Israelis (!) In league play (Danny Abadia and Jake Cohen) , There was an immediate need for another Israeli who would also play in the Euroleague and would not be damaged by the season-ending method: running, many scenes and athletic highs that can change defense and block color.

On the other hand, Maccabi Tel Aviv will be able to sign Arun Jackson into the league, which may put him in the squad and not just cover holes for a few minutes in the Euroleague and allow occasional rest for aces Scotty Wilbkin and Tyler Dorsey.

It is highly doubtful that Stodmaier's contribution to Maccabi Tel Aviv will be directly related to the media noise that the announcement of his signature created yesterday. This is a 37-year-old player who reaches a successful and deep team - at least in Euroleague - and whose last game in China was on December 9, 2019. Also there, by the way, He did not shine very much. Will the man who failed last season against Colton Iverson (in Tenerife) and Simpson of the RPM be a suitable replacement for Tariq Black at the senior factory in Europe?

Here comes another big test for Greek coach Speropoulos. How do you get a character like Stodmeyer into the healthy dressing room of Maccabi Tel Aviv without creating an elephant in a china shop? How do you combine it correctly and do not harm the harmony and confidence of the other players?

Okay, now for the numbers

In the summer, Amara Studmeyer is a purchase that is also an economic marketing. In January, when everything is in fact already out, there is nothing to be gained here financially. "For Stodmeyer, we have exceeded the budget," Sparopoulos said yesterday.

Until now, Maccabi Tel Aviv's acquisitions have not resulted in a real budget cut. Arun Jackson and Jaylen Reynolds will raise the club's box office by about half a million dollars by the end of the season, but this is the amount that should go into maximum ticket sales (the tickets the club is obligated to sell as non-subscriptions) and the Euroleague season. Extremely successful (each win is worth 40,000 euros, and Maccabi has so far achieved the number of victories recorded last season).

Amara. In what capacity will Sprucopoulos get him? // Photo by Alan Shiber

Maccabi Tel Aviv currently has four players who are disabled for extended periods. Their cost per club is about $ 400,000 each month. Social Security receives NIS 1,114 a day for each, so the amount will be quite minimal.

As far as is known, only the Dibratolomeo has full insurance, which has made the club leaders think about how to strengthen the team without going into the exception. The $ 250,000 that Stodmeyer is supposed to accept is a reasonable exception to the situation in which Maccabi Tel Aviv is currently, but this exception also begs: Would Hapoel Jerusalem, who is looking for a replacement for Lithuanian Mindaugas Copshas, ​​could not invest such an amount to bring Stodmaier back to its ranks?