Gaspar Potochnik, who was fired from Bnei Herzliya in 2018/19 and is currently the coach of Solonoki, an opponent of Nes Ziona, in an interview: "In retrospect, I might have changed my mind about signing in Herzliya.
Photocnik.
"Teams in Israel need to think long term"
Photography:
FIBA website
After the nice victory over Sporting Lisbon in the opening game of the European Cup bubble in Poland, Ness Ziona will meet Solonoki, the leader of the Hungarian league, today, knowing that a victory will practically guarantee her promotion to the next stage.
On the lines of the Hungarian team stands the Slovenian coach Gaspar Potocnik who worked for five months for Bnei Herzliya in the 2018/19 season.
"It was a good experience for me," Photocnik recalled in his first interview since leaving Israel in January 2019, "The Israeli league is a good, interesting and very competitive league, but unfortunately we had ups and downs that season. We played well in some cases, but lost a few games. And we also had problems with injuries. In the end only the results are important and the club management wanted me to leave in the middle of the season. Unfortunately they were unable to change the situation and finished poorly (relegated, YM).
I just wish them well and I am still in touch with a lot of people from there. "
Looking back, would you change any of your actions to be more successful?
"I would not change anything I did, maybe I would change in retrospect my decision to sign there in light of the circumstances. Some things I would like to build differently and listen more to myself in the decisions made. When I arrived there were already existing things that were hard to change. It was my decision to accept the situation and maybe "I was wrong. A man has to deal with his decisions and bear the consequences. I do not cry about it and there are no bad feelings. If I was more lucky in terms of timing and staff, maybe we would get along better."
Do you think that the people in Herzliya had enough patience with you?
"It's a question for them. I told them I've never had a problem with someone who sees things differently from me. I have no problem being a bully and fighting for it, but I don't think we should fight things like that. I told them my opinion, they said their opinion and we decided to break up. "It's a decision we made together. Sometimes we want to replace a coach with the thought that something will change. But really talking about it now is not fair. I'm sure everyone tried to do their best at that point in time."
"The clubs in Israel are making a lot of changes"
After the dismissal from Herzliya, Potochnik (40) served for a short time as assistant coach of Yuri Zdovic in Ljubljana and in the middle of last season was appointed coach of Solonoki.
I asked him to analyze Israeli basketball using the perspective he received during his time in Israel.
"In Israel, basketball is very tactical, while from the style I knew in the Adriatic League, basketball was less tactical. In Adriatic, there is more patience and less athleticism. "Fast and focused on the personal ability of the leading players. In Israel, a lot is invested in tactical preparation for specific games and players and make adjustments to the style of the rival teams and place emphasis on match-ups."
What do you think about the Israeli actor?
"The Israeli team achieves good results and there are talented young people so the future looks bright for Israel. The young teams have been successful in recent years with very talented players like Abdia and other players who play in Europe."
If you were to seek your advice, what would you change or add to improve Israeli basketball and perhaps Israeli basketball as well?
"From my short experience, I might have done a little different things to make the players and clubs more professional. The expectations of Israeli coaches may be slightly different from what I know, but sometimes in Israel teams make a lot of changes so coaches need to adapt to the team as soon as possible. I think That's not a good way, because what's important in the long run is the system and the method in which it works and that's actually what brings results. I'm not talking about a method of playing on the pitch, but a management style, how you want to develop players and the club. sport".
Potochnik as coach of Bnei Herzliya.
Farewell as friends // Photo: Alan Schieber
Potochnik heard about the new criteria for foreign coaches in Israel, criteria that would probably have prevented him from getting the job at Herzliya at the time.
"It's not good. Not only in Israel, but also in other countries, there are those who do not want foreign coaches. It does not matter foreign or not, no matter if someone is good or not. Most important is the coach's suitability to the club's system and needs. In general foreign coaches are a good thing in every league because they bring a different style of basketball and other habits, but of course I agree that you have to limit a bit because you do not want someone without knowledge to come in. You have to make sure the teams do not bring someone because it is cheap. High quality".
So there is a chance that we will see you return to coach in Israel in the future?
"Of course. Like I said I had a good experience and I think the experience will help me change and do things differently and also know what to expect. It's not a question - a good league, a nice country, my family enjoyed Israel and I have no problem taking the opportunity if it comes."
In the first game at home, Potochnik and Solonoki lost 90:80 to Ostrov and another loss may eliminate their chances of qualifying for the next stage.
"Nes Ziona has a good staff and a good coach," he analyzes. "With such a method of play, it is very difficult to know the chances of the teams, and if you do not come 100 percent ready, you can lose to everyone. I hope we will do our part."