Hapoel Tel Aviv Coach Slams League Over Foreign Player Quota Changes
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Dimitris Itoudis accused the Israeli Basketball Premier League of changing foreign player quotas to harm his team after their first loss of the season. The team fell 70-60 to Hapoel Jerusalem, ending a five-game winning streak. Itoudis criticized the roster limit change from 10 to 8 foreign players and expressed concern over potential further reductions. The club also faces minor injuries to key players ahead of upcoming EuroLeague games.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Dimitris Itoudis claims league changed foreign player quotas to hurt his team.
- The team lost its first game of the season, 70-60, to Hapoel Jerusalem.
- Itoudis stated the foreign player limit was reduced from 10 to 8 registered players.
- Tomer Ginat noted a significant rebounding deficit in the loss to Jerusalem.
- Key players Tomas Satoransky and Vasilije Micić are nursing minor injuries.
Hapoel Tel Aviv's coach, Dimitris Itoudis, has strongly criticized the Israeli Basketball Premier League management following his team's 70-60 loss to Hapoel Jerusalem. Itoudis alleges that the league deliberately altered the rules regarding the number of foreign players allowed on a roster to negatively impact his team. He stated that Hapoel Tel Aviv had prepared its squad based on the previous season's rules, which allowed for 10 registered foreign players with five active per game, but the new regulations limit this to eight. Itoudis expressed concern that the quota might be further reduced, potentially to as few as two or even zero foreign players.
The loss marked Hapoel Tel Aviv's first defeat of the season after five consecutive wins across all competitions. Elizjah Bryant led the team with 17 points, while Tomer Ginat contributed 12 points, 9 rebounds, and a game-high 23 efficiency rating. However, the rest of the team, including Dan Ortero who scored only six points, underperformed. Ginat acknowledged the disappointing result, highlighting a significant rebounding deficit (45-25) as a key factor in the loss, but expressed confidence in the team's overall quality.
Itoudis also addressed his team's performance, admitting they identified mismatches poorly and lacked good passing on offense, which he attributed to the playmakers. He specifically called for more seriousness from Dan Ortero on both ends of the court. The coach also mentioned that guard Tamir Blatt's return to the team is delayed, with the intention for him to play against his former team Maccabi Tel Aviv next week. Additionally, players Tomas Satoransky and Vasilije Micić are dealing with minor injuries, and the medical staff is working to have them ready for a demanding EuroLeague schedule, facing Anadolu Efes and Dubai next week.
On a positive note, the club was pleased with the attendance of 2,500 fans for the game and reported an increase in season ticket sales recently.
Mentioned
The same event, reported separately by each outlet. Open a few to compare what different newsrooms emphasize — and what they leave out.
Centre 2Right 2Other 2
Not the same event — other stories that share this one’s people, places, or theme: background, reactions, and follow-ups.
