Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Faces Ownership and Investment Uncertainty After Rakanati Family's Move

Following a dramatic development at Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club, insiders believe the Rakanati family, which recently acquired shares from the Federman family and Erik Shtilman, is already planning to share their ownership stake with a hidden investor. Club sources claim, "They definitely have an investor lined up but are keeping it secret," and express skepticism that the Rakanati family alone provided the necessary funds.

Additionally, club management accuses the Rakanati family of deliberately delaying the signing of player Yam Madar to announce their takeover only after Federman's shares were sold, aiming to blame Madar for obstructing the deal. Last night, the Rakanati family announced plans to invest tens of millions of shekels in the club over the coming years but did not specify the exact amount or timeline.

Regarding player acquisitions for the next season, the club source revealed that Bruno Fernando was already signed for a net $2.1 million per season and was expected to arrive alongside Rishon Holmes. However, it is now uncertain whether these financial commitments will be fulfilled.

About six weeks ago, the Federman family declared the sale of half of their "Padenco Sport" company, which holds 29 percent of the club's shares, to tech entrepreneur Erik Shtilman, making him a 14.5 percent owner of Maccabi Tel Aviv. According to shareholder agreements, other partners could not block Shtilman's entry but had a right of first refusal to purchase the entire 29 percent stake within one month, a deadline that was supposed to expire yesterday.