Hapoel Tel Aviv entered the playoff final against longtime rival Maccabi Tel Aviv in strong form, but Game 1 told a very different story. By the end of the third quarter, Hapoel was already trailing by 22 points, prompting a wave of criticism online aimed at coach Dimitris Itoudis and his players.
Social media posts described Hapoel as a “dead” team and said the performance was “embarrassing.” One of the recurring questions from fans was, “Why doesn’t Platin get a chance?” The reaction reflected frustration that the team’s momentum from earlier in the playoffs had disappeared in the series opener.
The article was published on June 16, 2026, at 22:18 on Sport 5. It centered on the immediate backlash to Hapoel Tel Aviv’s poor start in the final and the scrutiny now facing Itoudis ahead of the rest of the series.