The Croatian coach, who has not been interviewed since the dismissal in the winter of 2018, has finally provided his angle: "We have had a lot of injured, but in Israel there is great pressure and the management has decided its own." • On the period in the Hall: "Me and Goodes replaced the entire roster - something that did not happen Never in the history of modern basketball "

• Nben Safahia visits the hall. Remember Israel for the better

  Photo:

  Alan Shaver

Since being fired from Maccabi Tel Aviv in November 2018, Naban Safahia has not been interviewed for media outlets in Israel and has not given his side what happened and led to the dismissal. Today (Tuesday), the Croatian, who is currently working as assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies, was first interviewed on the Sportsrabbi website and provided his angle.

"Maccabi Tel Aviv is not just a team for me, it's far beyond that," said Safahia. "I'm still in touch with friends from the first time I was in the team during the 2006/7 season. Even after leaving the team, I remained a fan of Maccabi. "

The Croatian recounts what happened when he received a phone call from Nicola Wojciech in the summer of 2017 asking him to come: "When I spoke with Nicola before I returned, I couldn't understand how Maccabi failed to finish in the Israeli league for three years. He told me 'I think you can solve the problems.'

Spahia. Forced to replace the entire roster // Photo: Alan Shaver

"I immediately picked up a phone for Guy Goodes and asked him if we could solve it? He said yes, but that the entire roster has to be replaced, which is something that has not happened in modern basketball history that such a big club replaces 12 players at once."

"We brought in a player from Herzliya (Carm Mashur, YM), from Raanana (Yuval Sussman), from Nizhny Novgorod (Victor Rudd), we couldn't succeed in the first year. Now they are already in the third year of the process with the right coach and the right players, some came from the BBC, and I am so happy that they are now on the right track. "

Spahia in the Hall. "These things always sound like excuses when you fail" // Photo: Alan Shiber

On the difficulties of last season's dismissal, Safihia explains: "These things always sound like excuses when you can't and I don't like it. But when we saw our season-opening schedule and out of the first nine games, six were out when the three home games were against Real Madrid, Penrhabcha And CSCA, I thought to myself that in my entire basketball life I had never seen a schedule like that. "

"We also had three quintet player injuries. I had a conversation with owners David Federman and Udi Recanati and I told them that I am proud to be from this job and program, and that the injured will be back and we will be fine, but in Israel there is great pressure and the management decided what they decided."