Hapoel Tel Aviv Panelists Debate Squad Decisions After Loss
Translated & summarized from Walla by baba
On the "Tzion 3" sports panel, Eitan Leshem controversially proposed leaving player Chico out of Hapoel Tel Aviv's squad, despite his recent derby-winning goal. Leshem argued for prioritizing consistency and depth, suggesting Chico was expendable. Other panelists expressed surprise, while the discussion also covered coach Eliniv Barda's tactical formations and their effectiveness.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Panelist Eitan Leshem suggested Chico should be excluded from Hapoel Tel Aviv's squad.
- Chico recently scored the winning goal in Hapoel Tel Aviv's first derby victory in 12 years.
- The debate centers on Hapoel Tel Aviv's squad selection among its eight foreign players.
- Leshem cited concerns about player consistency and lack of direct substitutes.
- Other panelists expressed surprise at Leshem's controversial suggestion.
- The team's tactical approach under coach Eliniv Barda was also discussed.
Following Hapoel Tel Aviv's 3-1 defeat to Kiryat Shmona, a debate erupted on the "Tzion 3" sports panel regarding which of the team's eight foreign players should be excluded from the squad. Panelist Eitan Leshem controversially suggested that Chico, who scored the winning goal in the team's first derby victory in 12 years, should be the one left out.
Leshem argued that while Karaev is a good player, he struggles with consistency, and the team lacks a suitable replacement if Karaev is unavailable. He cited a scenario where if El-Yam cannot play, there is no direct substitute, implying Chico might be expendable despite his derby heroics.
Fellow panelists Moshe Ziat and Itzik Shasho expressed surprise at Leshem's suggestion, particularly given Chico's recent decisive goal. Ziat admitted he initially thought Karaev might be the one to be excluded, while Shasho stated that the team has no other option but to make such a difficult decision due to the quality of all the players.
The discussion also touched upon coach Eliniv Barda's tactical approach, with Leshem describing a new system where El-Yam drops back, the team forms three at the back during attacks, the defensive midfielder moves to defense, and Koko enters as a midfielder. However, Leshem remained unconvinced about the effectiveness of this strategy, even when panelist Yonatan Nimrodi highlighted a play involving Owusu scoring a powerful shot.
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