Yonatan Alon Reflects on a Turbulent Exit from Hapoel Jerusalem

Yonatan Alon, who was officially appointed on Tuesday as the professional director at Hapoel HaEmek, spoke about his recent spell coaching Hapoel Jerusalem in an interview on Sport 5’s “Hamishiyot.” Looking back on the season, he said the last few months were difficult because there was a constant sense that “everything could fall apart” and that the team was in survival mode.

Alon described the first game in the playoff series against Hapoel Tel Aviv, which was stopped under Home Front Command orders, as a chaotic and emotionally difficult moment. He said the teams were taken to locker rooms, then told the crowd would be evacuated and play would resume. When he returned to his players, some told him they were unable to continue. “I’m with you,” he recalled telling them, before apologizing to Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Dimitrios Itoudis and saying the situation made it impossible to get the players back on the floor.

He also addressed the broader reality inside the club, saying many of the people involved were not lifelong Jerusalem supporters but had found themselves in an unusual situation and were trying to keep things together. He said a coach cannot realistically demand full competitive focus from players who are emotionally unable to play. In his words, professionalism required honesty, and he believed he had been honest.

The interview also touched on key off-court developments, including a reportedly very lucrative offer of about $1 million from Ofer Yannay, and the later arrival of Sasha Obradovic as Hapoel Jerusalem’s new coach. Alon was asked when he understood he would not be the club’s coach, how he handled talks with owner Adelson, and about new signing Anthony Lamb, while the discussion also raised questions about whether he is more of a basketball man or a manager.