Sasa Obradovic Named New Hapoel Jerusalem Coach

Hapoel Jerusalem has appointed Serbian coach Sasa Obradovic as its new head coach, the club announced on Monday, June 15, 2026, after Jonathan Alon left following a disappointing season. The move gives the Jerusalem club a veteran EuroLeague coach with experience at Monaco and Red Star Belgrade.

Obradovic, 57, began the 2025/26 season in charge of Red Star after Janis Sferopoulos was fired. He initially led the Serbian team through a strong spell, but the season declined, Red Star finished 10th and was eliminated in the play-in, which ultimately ended his stint in Belgrade. As a player, he won the Korac Cup with Alba Berlin and also played for Virtus Roma, Buducnost and Cologne.

At Cologne, where he spent four seasons as a player from 2001 to 2005, he became the team’s coach from 2005 to 2008. He won Cologne’s only German championship in 2006 and also lifted the German Cup in 2007. He later coached Kiev, Donetsk, Alba Berlin, Lokomotiv Kuban and Monaco in two separate spells, from 2019/20 and again from 2021 to 2024.

In 2023, Obradovic led Monaco to its first-ever EuroLeague Final Four after defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv in the playoffs. He was dismissed in November 2024 after a disappointing start, with Monaco sitting at 3-6 in France and 4-6 in the EuroLeague. His coaching honors also include two French titles, a French Cup, a German title, four German Cups and a Russian Cup.

After signing, Obradovic said he was very happy to join Hapoel Jerusalem, choosing the club because of its vision, standards and high ambitions. Owner Matan Adelson said the hiring reflects the club’s determination to meet its goals and begin “a new chapter” under Obradovic’s leadership.