Maccabi Haifa Seeks New Coach Using Data Analysis

Maccabi Haifa is in its second week of searching for a new head coach following Barak Bakhar's resignation, with the club reportedly using data analysis to identify candidates. While dozens of coaches have been suggested, the club has stated most linked names are irrelevant. The team faces a crucial match against Bnei Sakhnin on November 28th after the international break.

Reports suggest Maccabi Haifa is looking for a young, proactive, and attacking coach. Northern Irishman Rory Higgins, formerly of Coleraine, confirmed he was approached about the position but declined, stating he did not wish to leave. Other names mentioned include former CFR Cluj and Legia Warsaw coach Edi Iordănescu and Hapoel Petah Tikva coach Omer Peretz.

The club's search appears to involve "big data" analysis, a method employed by clubs like Union SG and Brighton & Hove Albion. This approach aims to identify coaches whose profiles align with the club's desired style, focusing on possession-based football, often in a 4-3-3 formation, and a high percentage of ball possession. Peretz's Hapoel Petah Tikva, Higgins' Coleraine, and Iordănescu's CFR Cluj and Legia Warsaw all exhibited these traits, with high ball possession and a focus on build-up play.

Analysis of these coaches' past teams reveals a commonality in their approach to possession and build-up play, often involving defenders in passing sequences. While Maccabi Haifa currently ranks third in the league for ball possession, the team's defensive players are less involved in passing compared to the candidates' former teams. The candidates also tend to favor fewer long balls, indicating a preference for playing out from the back, a style that may not suit Haifa's current defenders.

Furthermore, the data suggests a need for greater resilience. While Peretz's Hapoel Petah Tikva showed some ability to come back from behind, the candidates' former teams, like Coleraine and CFR Cluj, demonstrated a stronger tendency to avoid falling behind in the first place. This points to a search for a more compact team rather than one that relies on exploiting large spaces, which has sometimes led to defensive vulnerabilities for Maccabi Haifa.

The common profile emerging is for a coach in their 40s, like Peretz (40), Higgins (42), and Iordănescu (48), who possesses experience with proactive teams but remains open to new ideas. Tactical flexibility is also a key factor, with the candidates showing a greater ability to adapt formations and game plans than has been evident at Maccabi Haifa. Although Higgins and Peretz are under contract and Iordănescu has high salary demands, the club is seeking a coach who can work within Haifa's existing framework (4-3-3, attacking football, playing from the back) while adding a layer of defensive solidity. With a challenging schedule ahead, including matches against Sakhnin, Beitar Jerusalem, and a derby against Hapoel Haifa, time is of the essence.