Maccabi Tel Aviv Can Reach EuroLeague Final Four If Allowed to Play at Home
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Maccabi Tel Aviv's Professional Manager, Claudio Coldebella, believes the team can reach the EuroLeague Final Four if they are allowed to play home games in Israel again. He described Tel Aviv as a beautiful city and stated that the team is forced to play in neutral venues outside Israel due to security concerns. Coldebella argued this situation is unfair and harms the EuroLeague's value, while also naming Olympiacos, Fenerbahce, and Panathinaikos as other potential Final Four contenders.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Maccabi Tel Aviv can reach the EuroLeague Final Four if allowed to play home games in Israel, according to manager Claudio Coldebella.
- Coldebella stated that playing at home gives Maccabi an advantage, comparing it to starting with a 10-0 lead.
- The team is currently forced to host EuroLeague games in neutral venues outside of Israel due to security concerns.
- Coldebella described Tel Aviv as a beautiful city and defended Israel's place in European competitions.
- Maccabi has won two of its first six EuroLeague games this season.
Maccabi Tel Aviv's Professional Manager, Claudio Coldebella, stated in an interview with Italian media that the team's ability to reach the EuroLeague Final Four is contingent on their return to playing home games in Israel. Coldebella, who is currently in Tel Aviv, described the city as beautiful and suggested that perceptions of it being under siege might be premature, emphasizing that the country is built to handle emergencies as part of its history. He expressed that no player dislikes Tel Aviv and that the team is "the people's team," highlighting the passionate home crowd of 11,000 fans at a recent Israeli league game.
Coldebella criticized the current situation, where Maccabi is forced to host its EuroLeague games in neutral venues outside of Israel due to security concerns. He argued that this is unfair and diminishes the value of the EuroLeague product, as opponents clearly benefit from playing in a neutral court rather than facing Maccabi in front of a full home arena, which he likened to starting every home game with a 10-0 advantage. He also defended Israel's place in European competitions, drawing parallels to other regions like Dubai, Turkey, and parts of Russia, and asserted Maccabi's historical significance in the tournament, tracing its roots back to the European Champions Cup.
When asked about potential Final Four participants, Coldebella named Olympiacos, Fenerbahce, and Panathinaikos. He believes Maccabi could be the fourth team, provided they are permitted to play their home games in Israel again, a scenario he hopes for. Maccabi Tel Aviv has started its EuroLeague season with two wins in its first six games.
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