Following Maccabi Tel Aviv’s 58th championship, businessman and club director Erik Shtilman said the club has already approved a major budget increase and is close to strengthening its roster. In an interview on Sport 5’s “5 BeAvir,” he said, “Everything is approved and everything is closed, I am one of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s shareholders.” He explained that after buying shares from the Federman family, he became a shareholder, and that the other shareholders had the chance to buy the full stake but time ran out.
Shtilman said a board meeting three weeks ago approved a significant budget boost. “The budget will be higher by 40% than last season, maybe even around 50%,” he said, adding that Maccabi is aiming for “a very high budget that enters the top 6 of the EuroLeague.” He said he expects a “welcome” signing within three or four days, described the delay as a marketing issue, and said the club has been active in the market in recent weeks with the goal of completing the roster by mid-July.
On guard Tamir Blatt, Shtilman said there are financial gaps that agent Coldebella is trying to bridge with Blatt’s representatives, but he had not received an update. He said Coldebella has one more season on his contract, and that after the celebrations he was told directly that he was staying. “I read about it in Rome just like you did, I did not see an offer,” he said.
Shtilman added that even with a larger budget, the club will not automatically meet every player’s demands. He said Blatt is highly sought after and that “there are not many Israelis at Tamir’s level,” naming Yam Madar, Tamir Blatt and Roman as the top Israeli players now. He said he presented shareholders with a proposal based on a 30 million shekel budget, but the formal meeting to approve that figure has not yet taken place and is expected in July. He said the money is available and that the club has a multi-year plan for how to use incoming funds, not only for salaries. He also praised the Recanati family and Simon Mizrahi, saying they will do what is best for the team.
