The chairman of Hapoel Tel Aviv Rami Cohen came to the Tasvim podcast - the basketball podcast of "Israel Hayom" and spoke with Yaakov Meir and Gil Amitai about all the burning issues in the club.
The signing of Onuaku is not a move by "Hapoel Tel Aviv", in addition to the fact that your name was not mentioned as an option in the market. what happened there?
"The new Hapoel Tel Aviv is run differently, it's not what you used to know. We work differently, and see every available player on the market as potential for us. We try to work quietly. Onuaku was a place we really wanted, understanding that to do great things you need strength in color. As soon as there was an opportunity, we jumped on it , and only after that we thought about the continuation."
An interview with Hapoel Tel Aviv chairman Rami Cohen
Bringing such a dominant player is something that can damage the team chemistry, have you taken that into account?
"We took that into account, and that's why the deal also took a few days, and not because of financial problems or long negotiations. In the end, when there's a player like that on the market - they take it. We trusted the professional team and our experienced players to know how to contain it and manage with it."
Onuaku.
A great signing, photo: Hapoel Tel Aviv
We see that the club is changing. You mentioned the new "Hapoel Tel Aviv", what does that mean?
"We wanted to go back to working like a business entity that is managed in an orderly manner, to make sane decisions based on professionals. There was a stage when we realized that if we continued to work with the same methods we would receive the same offers, and we wanted to make the leap. We knew we were in the right direction and we believed in it, but the speed with which things happened This year surprised us too."
Looks like you've changed my mind.
"That's right, we stopped treating ourselves as weak or looking at others. I tell the people at the club every day - we are big, strong and no one can bully us. For me, we are the number one brand in the world."
What is your role in the process?
"I am a central part of all these moves. The role of a chairman is not to mess with shoelaces, or to sit on the coaches' heads. In the past, in the management, we were busy with everything, down to the details. But in the end you can't do everything, and today I think I'm busy with the important things" .
Rami Cohen with Franco and Timur, photo: Alan Shiver
Did the money raised from fans to register the fifth foreigner help bring Onuaku?
"No, there is no connection between the two things. When we started the recruitment, we didn't even know that there was a chance that Onuaku would become a free agent, and we didn't use the money for that. These are two different things."
How many more years will you continue at Hapoel Tel Aviv?
"As long as I think that I am doing more good than bad for Hapoel - I will stay. The day it is the other way around - I will not be here. There are other management members here, Hapoel Tel Aviv will survive even without me."
Where does the big money that the club suddenly has come from?
"When you conduct yourself correctly, you have more time for other things as well. We added people to the team to deal with fundraising and investors, we increased the activity on social media, and in my opinion it is among the best in the country today. We sold more subscriptions and succeeded professionally, which always helps. The last three months have created 'hype' Great, our income from selling products doubled, we sold all the subscriptions, new sponsors and donors arrived. When you're successful - there's somewhere to get money."
Hapoel Tel Aviv. When you succeed, money comes, photo: Maor Alxalsi
Finally, what are Hapoel Tel Aviv's goals for another five years from today?
"To be a team that competes for titles every year, to be at the top of a European enterprise, to play in a bigger hall, 6,000 or 7,000 seats at least, to reach a budget of 30 million shekels when today we stand at 17 million shekels, and to increase the youth department."
Euroleague.
On Friday, Maccabi Tel Aviv suffered its third loss in a row in Europe when it lost 96:88 to Partizan Belgrade.
Assisted in the preparation of the article: Tomer Givati
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