Ofer Yannay Claims Yam Madar's Salary at Maccabi Tel Aviv Is Much Higher Than Reported

Ofer Yannay, owner of Hapoel Tel Aviv basketball club, publicly disputed the reported salary figures of Yam Madar following his transfer to Maccabi Tel Aviv. Yannay alleged that Madar's financial demands during negotiations with Hapoel Tel Aviv reached up to 4 million euros per season, significantly exceeding the approximately 2 million dollars per year reported for his contract with Maccabi.

Yannay described the negotiation process as unusual, noting that Madar showed no willingness to compromise despite Hapoel's offer exceeding 3 million dollars. He insisted that Madar ultimately signed a contract worth 4 million dollars net annually, suggesting that Maccabi's public salary declaration was intended to downplay their payroll expenses.

Additionally, Yannay implied that the high salary was not solely due to Madar's talent but also part of a broader strategy by those involved to undermine him personally. He concluded with a pointed remark indicating that while the humiliation of the situation fades quickly, the financial burden remains, and questioned whether Maccabi truly "won" the battle for the player or if it was part of his own plan all along.