Yonatan Alon Leaves Hapoel Jerusalem as Club Misses EuroLeague Wild Card

Hapoel Jerusalem announced on Friday that Yonatan Alon has ended his tenure as head coach after three seasons. Alon, who grew up supporting the club from the Malha days, led Jerusalem to the State Cup title in the 2023/24 season and later guided it to another State Cup final and to the Israeli league playoff final.

The club said Alon had managed difficult challenges off the court during his time in charge and thanked him for his professionalism and commitment. In its farewell message, the club wrote: "Yun'chuk, thank you for the shared journey, for the uncompromising professionalism, for the commitment and for the moments of joy you gave us all. Much success in the future, you will always be part of the Hapoel family."

Owner Matan Adelson also praised Alon, saying he "left a deep mark on the club, was a true partner on the journey and led the team through significant and challenging moments." The announcement came alongside another setback for Jerusalem, which said EuroLeague rejected its request for a wild card for the 2026/27 season.

According to the club, it submitted the highest offer but was turned down because of uncertainty surrounding the security situation in Israel. As a result, Jerusalem will remain in the EuroCup next season, while its stated goal remains winning that competition and earning promotion to the EuroLeague. The club said it will keep working with EuroLeague management to try to join the competition in the future.