Hapoel Tel Aviv Basketball Club CEO Oren Hasson Resigns After 9 Days Amidst Turmoil

Oren Hasson, the former chairman of the Football Association, has resigned as CEO of the Hapoel Tel Aviv basketball club just nine days after his appointment. The abrupt departure follows a severe confrontation with club chairman Stav Shaham during a heated work meeting. This leadership upheaval occurs against the backdrop of significant changes in the club's ownership structure and recent employee dismissals.

The club officially announced Hasson's immediate departure on Thursday. The conflict reportedly stemmed from tensions over employees who joined the club around two months ago when Hasson was appointed chairman, prior to the recent structural changes. Sources indicate that a close associate of Hasson was abruptly fired over the phone, and other key personnel, including the recently appointed VP of Foreign Relations, Eran Atiya, and VP of Operations, Kobi Golan, were also let go, leading to an irreparable rift between Hasson and Shaham.

This management crisis comes just a week after a dramatic shift in the club's ownership. Ofer Yanai's "Yanai Sport" company, which previously held a controlling stake, restructured its holdings. Yanai now owns only 40% of the "Adom Management Sal" company, with Gili Re'anan, Miki Malka, and Alan Howard each holding 20%. The Hapoel Osishkin fan association retains the remaining 19%. This redistribution of shares was intended to streamline decision-making among the four shareholders and has consolidated significant management authority with Stav Shaham, who will also serve as interim CEO until a permanent replacement for Hasson is found.