Hapoel Coach Itoudis Reflects on Derby Loss, Avoids Controversy

Translated & summarized from N12 by baba

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Hebrew · 1 newsroom

Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Dimitris Itoudis commented on his team's 71-74 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv in a close derby game. Itoudis cited 18 turnovers as a major factor and declined to discuss a controversial foul. He defended his player rotation strategy, stating it was his decision and not due to player fatigue.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Dimitris Itoudis discussed the team's 71-74 derby loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Itoudis highlighted 18 turnovers as a significant factor in the defeat.
The coach refused to comment on a potential "obstruction foul" in the game.
He defended his player rotation decisions, attributing them to strategy, not fatigue.
Itoudis confirmed that 12 players, including Tomer Ginat and Tamir Blatt, participated.

Hapoel Coach Itoudis Reflects on Derby Loss, Avoids Controversy — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Dimitris Itoudis addressed his team's narrow 71-74 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv in a dramatic derby game that extended over two hours. Itoudis acknowledged the team's high turnover rate, stating, "We had 18 turnovers, a huge number. Usually, we are around nine." He also noted that the team failed to capitalize in crucial moments. When asked about a potential "obstruction foul," Itoudis declined to comment, saying, "Whether it was an obstruction foul or not? I won't get into that. We lost this time, we move on."

Discussing player rotation, Itoudis defended his decisions, emphasizing that it was not related to fatigue. He highlighted that 12 players, including Tomer Ginat and Tamir Blatt, were involved in the game, indicating a strategic choice rather than exhaustion. Itoudis stated that the rotation was his decision and that it paid off, without elaborating further on the specifics of the strategy or the game's outcome.

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