About two months ago, Ari Steinberg took up his position as the new chairman of the basketball league directorate, replacing Shmuel Frankel, who finished a ten-year tenure.
Steinberg (48) is well known in the business sector thanks to a number of senior management positions, and now he is coming to Israeli basketball with the aim of making his mark: "I have a desire to do for the public. Call it a scratch or a friar, but I like to change. I have done things that are half-imaginary in the public sector ", he says in an interview for the "Israel Hayom" Positives podcast.
"Israeli basketball isn't sexy enough, we don't have the 'buzz gloss' like soccer, you'll be surprised but it brings an audience and we're currently at a disadvantage. We're trying to recruit a VP of marketing and strategy to help us take care of these things."
Steinberg at the Israel Hayom panel, photo: Gideon Markovich
In what condition did you get the principalship?
"The state of the company is good. Everyone who is in this field comes from love, if you don't like it you won't be there. There are complexities, so the situation is good but could be much better. As the chairman of the board, I have to look only at the good Basketball and the good of the league, since the administration is made up of chairmen who have interests, so there are conflicts and my goal is to put basketball before everything."
You have an impressive background, why do you need it?
"My dream is that this sport will do good for society. At the end of the day, my goal is to bring money to the league, I want children to be on the courts instead of in front of the computer. For them to watch and play basketball, for me it's health. Sports is a form of communication at the end of the day."
One of the criticisms of Shmuel Frankel was that his agenda stems from closeness to the group and a desire for publicity.
"That's true. Whoever wants advertising to come to sports, he will get it for better or for worse. I avoided the media, my goal is to bring a new audience to the fields and thus bring in advertisers. This way can be through self-branding, which is something I'm not interested in, I'm not looking for professional Yahavs ".
"I must say that since I've been in office the media has been chasing me, and I chose not to be interviewed too much. I don't think it's right to come when you don't have solutions and receipts, but after you've done things. But I think it's right to talk to the audience, who at the end of the day we're there for them. Something I want to change."
Frankel.
Finished his job, photo: Alan Shiver
Are you affiliated with a group in Israel?
"They tried to stick me with Maccabi Tel Aviv. They wanted a picture of me shaking hands with a Maccabi scarf with Adli Markos as part of a collaboration between the team and the reserve of which I am the chairman, that was part of the agreement.
I'm a fan of basketball, I've been around the courts, but I'm more of a fan of teams from abroad.
"Precisely in football, I have a love for Maccabi Netanya. Since I was selected, I try to travel to all the fields. I have no preference, this picture is quite a bluff."
What would you like to change? What goals have you set for yourself in the near term?
"I want the league to have an identity in four years. For new kids to be able to identify with a team, one that doesn't change its face every season. I want the teams to have more money to add better players, and a better shell - coaches, fitness trainers, fixers. I want A new and young audience at the pitches, internet and higher broadcast quality."
What do you think about the powers of the chairman?
At the moment there are not enough. It is clear that the chairmen of the groups who give their lives and money have an interest in having a lot of power.
In order for them to want to give up this power, they need the good of the league to also be in the good of their team.
The chairman needs more powers, but I still can't say I'm having trouble. On the other hand, I haven't done much yet."
"There is no time for unnecessary fights"
In recent years, the conflict between the basketball association and the administration has occupied Israeli basketball and caused a murky atmosphere between the parties, to the point of threats by the league teams not to operate under the union, and against the union's demand to return the management of the Premier League to its hands.
Steinberg arrived with a new spirit, and he makes it clear that he intends to act in full cooperation: "I came to change, not to fight. On both sides we have good people who love basketball and want to do good," he says.
"There are enough problems that need to be taken care of, so there is no time for unnecessary fights. I was at the cup final in the Arena, there is no internet there. Children want to take pictures and upload to Tiktok and it is not possible, these things have to be taken care of."
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in the cup final, photo: Alan Shiver
What are your and the union's common goals?
"To market the leagues together as it should, to work with the toto, to address the problem of the Israeli player (the league option up to the age of 21), we will solve the problems of the Premier League - but we will not solve all the problems of Israeli basketball alone."
Talk to us about the Israeli actor.
"An Israeli player needs a support mechanism in order to reach the Premier League. The team leaders want the faces of their teams to be two leading Israelis, make no mistake. If there are no foreigners here, this league will not interest anyone. No one will come to see Israelis play against themselves, that's will bring nothing. A player who arrives in the league unprepared and fails, it will be difficult for him to return to it."
"I don't like the amount of foreigners here in the league and their turnover, I don't know if we will change the limit of foreigners that can be registered here in the season. We are largely against restrictions, maybe we will increase the financial incentive for teams that register fewer foreigners. We will talk to the Israeli players' organization and bring a new spirit of solutions, the basketball association will also be in the picture. I want the Israeli players to be strong."
Steinberg at the Israel Hayom panel, photo: Gideon Markowitz
What do you think the league structure should be?
"There should be teams in the league that can sustain themselves financially and promote the league. I don't like the idea of increasing the league to 14 teams, I think there aren't enough teams at the required level, there aren't enough facilities at the moment for the Premier League in Israel. I would like there to be a team that would represent the The Arab sector, this will add a new audience. Likewise, a team from Samaria, as we see now in the national league - that's great."
What about the gameplay?
"I want there to be as many interesting games as possible, games that do not determine anything do not contribute to anyone. I am in favor of as many playoff games and relegation games as possible, I think that series of five games in the quarters, semis and finals is the most correct. It is good for the league. No one in the teams can To tell me it's less good. If there are more teams, I'd like us to add play-in as well."
Listen to episode 21 of "Charges" on all platforms:
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