Maccabi Tel Aviv Still Without New Coach as Foreign Player Plans Take Shape

Maccabi Tel Aviv has less than two weeks before it returns to preseason training, but the club still has not announced its new head coach. Newly appointed sporting director Steven Vanharen, who took the job about a week ago, is continuing talks abroad, and time is starting to run short for the club.

Vanharen also has to finalize the foreign-player list for next season. At least three new foreigners are expected to be signed to replace center back Heitor, midfielder Kerwin Andrade and striker Joonas Nikolaescu, who is recovering from an ACL tear and is not expected to be fit for the start of the campaign.

There are also questions over Tyrese Asante, who could be sold, although Maccabi says no official offer has been received. Another uncertainty is Kosovo midfielder Emir Sahiti, who has not yet signed a new contract. German reports on Wednesday said Sahiti had instructed his agents to find him a new destination because of the security situation in Israel.

Maccabi Tel Aviv is not alarmed by those reports for now. The club noted that a deal expected to be signed soon could calm the security situation in Israel, and that similar claims during the war, saying Sahiti would not return to Israel, later proved false. In the end, the winger came back and played for Maccabi in the playoff matches.

The club is preparing to appoint a coach and bring in several new foreigners ahead of its first major competitive test in July, the Europa League qualifying rounds.