After a long and exhausting season, eight teams will begin the playoff series tonight at the end of which we will know the identity of the champion.
We asked the managers of the teams that qualified for the playoffs questions about the season that was and the future that lies ahead.
Guy Harel, CEO of Hapoel Jerusalem
What is the biggest challenge you had this year?
"It is still too early to conclude the season.
There have been a lot of challenges that some of the general public are aware of and most of them are not yet. "
What is the main goal for next season?
" As I said, the time for summaries will come.
Everyone at Hapoel is focused and aiming to meet the last goal of the season. "
What do you most want to see change in Israeli basketball?
"There are not enough rainforests in the world to contain enough paper material to write on it everything I would like to see change in Israeli basketball. But most of all, I would like everyone who plays basketball and works hard for the industry, whether in the administration or the union, to come with a real intention to do good with I would like to see a clean, transparent decision-making that is in the interest and not in the interest. Live for the general public, who knows, maybe one day it will happen. "
Shimon Mizrahi, Chairman of Maccabi Tel Aviv
What was the biggest challenge you had this year?
"After missing the promotion to the top 8 in the Euroleague in the Corona season, the challenge was to qualify this season and try to advance as much as possible and of course win the championship. We qualified for the Euroleague playoffs and failed to advance beyond that and now we want to win a fifth consecutive championship."
What is the main goal for next season?
"Bread we enacted is first and foremost a championship and a trophy and to reach the most advanced stages in the Euroleague. At the same time to try and preserve the skeleton of the players of the existing team."
What is the thing you most want to see change in Israeli basketball?
"I would like to see more professionals and nurture of the youth and the next generation. More academies, to raise players for Israeli teams and teams. I was very happy that the Israeli teams will advance to the higher stages of the European Championships, reach the Olympics and be girls between FIBA and Euroleague."
Would like to see more professionals investing in the future generation, Photo: Oded Karni
Eldad Akunis
, chairman of Bnei Herzliya
. What was the biggest challenge you had this
year
?
The budget that is the lowest day in the Premier League so that we can maintain large sections of the staff and participate in the most senior European enterprise for which we will receive a ticket. "
What do you most want to see change in Israeli basketball?
" .
"I would be happy if we could all teams find a common denominator in favor of basketball, and make long-term decisions that will also hold and improve basketball here and not just look to the upcoming season or the upcoming game and what is appropriate at the moment."
Eitan Lanciano, chairman of Hapoel Holon
. What was the biggest challenge you had this year?
"We had a lot of challenges this season.
The crowd that came to Bilbao is our biggest challenge, to get it there and bring it back safely.
It is not a simple destination, and the large amount that got there is a great honor for the club.
It was something new for us, that we are not used to and we stood by it nicely. "
What is the main goal for next season?
" To bring back the crowd we lost in Corona.
We worked for years to bring an audience to the pitch, and in Corona they got used to being in front of the TV.
At the same time, it continues to meet the high professional goals we set and we will also succeed in advancing to another level. "
What do you most want to see change in Israeli basketball?
"That basketball here will be more professional and less business-like, that professionals in the various organizations will work and there will be transparency. Another thing I want is for large Israeli companies that receive huge tax deductions to adopt sports teams under their auspices, as in big countries like Turkey, Germany and others. In several degrees. "
Lanciano wants to restore the lost crowd in Corona, Photo: Alan Schieber
Tamir Avrahams, chairman of Hapoel Galil Elyon,
what was the biggest challenge you had this year?
"
We believe in the promotion and development of Israeli players and we have also managed to sign a quality staff that succeeds in combination with Israeli players who will be the next thing in Israeli basketball, all on short and tight schedules.
We did the job and built an attractive team with little money. "
What is the main goal for next season?
" I believe in continuity and we want to keep players and a professional team for a few seasons, even if it is not so common in Israel.
We want to set appropriate standards and conditions that will make our players stay and players want to come here.
We want to continue to increase the youth department and also see more crowds on the pitches.
In the future, we are not ashamed to talk about a new arena in the Galilee. "
What is the thing you most want to see change in Israeli basketball?
"In Israeli basketball, we change quickly all the time. I would like to see professional teams that stay in the same team for a long time, and see that the teams commit to developing their youth department more, and promote players from the departments. When that happens .
Yuval Rossman, Chairman of Hapoel Haifa
What is the biggest challenge you had this year?
"The biggest challenge is that in the second season of the Premier League we will continue to be a team at the top of the table.
This is the goal that management and professional director Reuven Alex have set for reaching the top six and the playoffs.
I'm glad we met the goal. "
What's the main goal for next season?
" We want to upgrade the management aspect, the management avenue and the marketing side.
There is a very big improvement in the marketing and reach of the audience for the games, and our goal is to continue to improve on the managerial and marketing side.
If we want to advance and become professional, this is our way. "
What do you most want to see change in Israeli basketball?
"I would like the administration to upgrade at the level of conduct, to be more professional and to have more tools for clubs to conduct themselves better and to have more money in the industry, and that we can continue to develop Israeli and young players and give them real minutes. I do not think "The foreigners, and on the other hand, to bring sanity to the salary level of the Israeli players. I want games at earlier hours so that we can bring more families and children, because we want to invest in the younger generation."
Rami Cohen, Chairman of Hapoel Tel Aviv
What was the biggest challenge you had this year?
"At the level of conduct to continue the organizational change we started a year and a half ago and to continue changing our work patterns, it was a top-notch managerial challenge for me. Professionally we had to survive the periods with the injuries that made it very difficult for us during the season."
What is the main goal for next season?
.
What is the thing you most want to see change in Israeli basketball?
"Two things. Halls, we must end the halls revolution. We are coming to all kinds of small halls that do not deserve to be in the Premier League, it is time to stop talking and build new halls. And the second thing, I personally care more about young Israeli players, "We in the youth department get more minutes in the senior group. This is important to me personally."
Rami Cohen wants a degree, Photo: Alan Shiber
Artzi Privat, CEO of Hapoel Gilboa / Galil
What is the biggest challenge you had this year?
"Build a team and keep it in the league.
We went through a upheaval last summer that no one took into account, the team was in a state of being or ceasing and the club was on the verge of dissolution.
We built the team two weeks before the start of the league, it was an ideal situation and everyone crowned us as a safe relegation, and the challenge was to lift ourselves out of this situation and have a good season.
We did a great job and had an amazing season. "
What is the main goal for next season?
"We are currently in the process of transferring ownership, and the new owner has a vision to continue the path of the Gilboa and the late Haim Ohayon of promoting the Israeli player and of young and talented foreigners.
Our vision is to be the best club in the country, which means building a professional-managerial mechanism that will give the best shell and that every player who comes will know that he gets the best conditions to develop and excel.
The new owner came in with a new spirit and also with good means, and I believe we will take that a few steps further.
We are not ashamed to say that the goal is that in two or three years we will be in a senior European factory. "
What do you most want to see change in Israeli basketball?
"Israeli basketball is not professional enough and does not set standards enough and thinking is short-term thinking and not a long process. If it were possible to raise the level of professionalism in the industry it would do us all good. I see Euroleague and NBA and jealous. We always think of immediate results And you see it in the rapid exchanges of players and coaches, for me it's a hole and I'm happy for it to change. "
Artzi Private Gilboa Galil CEO, Photo: Liran Moldbon
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