On the way to a breakup? The conflict at the top of Hapoel Tel Aviv has reached a boiling point

Hapoel Tel Aviv is in the midst of preparations for the EuroLeague season, but behind the scenes, a management shake-up is taking place following a deep rift between Chairman Oren Hasson and CEO Tzahi Reichenstein. The reason, according to sources in the club, is disagreements over how the team is managed.

"They simply do not see eye to eye," they said at Hapoel.

It all began about a month ago, with the entry of Hasson — former chairman of the Israel Football Association and CEO of the Leagues Administration — into the position of chairman. Even then, sources at Hapoel wondered how Hasson and Reichenstein would get along, as both are supposed to deal with overlapping areas, which could lead to power struggles. According to them, this is exactly what happened.

Since Hasson's appointment, significant changes have been made in the management structure. Within a short time, four new officials were appointed: Iftach Harel as marketing director, Kobi Golan as operations director, Amir Lubin as youth activities director, and Eran Atiya as external relations director. Sources in the ranks of the Reds claim that the timing is problematic, precisely when the team is at the peak of preparations for the upcoming season. "This is not the time to make shocks," they said.

"All the people who came to the club are those whom Doron Osidon knows. He is the close advisor of Ofer Yanai. He has no official role, but everyone he wants to bring into the club — enters. He wants to turn Hapoel Tel Aviv into Hapoel Akko. In the past, he had an incident with Tzahi, and since then he has targeted him." According to those same sources, Hasson tried to bring about the termination of Idan Peled and legal advisor Amit Pinto, but Reichenstein managed to block the move.

The crisis intensified especially during an event surrounding the appointment outline for the upcoming season. During the week, the outline was published on the club's social networks, but within minutes it was deleted after it turned out that an incorrect version had been published. According to sources familiar with the details, at that time Reichenstein was in Sofia as part of the preparations for the EuroLeague, and Hasson decided to publish the outline without waiting for his return or consulting with him. After the publication, Yanai was exposed to the outline and ordered its immediate removal. Some claim that the conversation between Yanai and Hasson was conducted in harsh tones and that the owner was not satisfied with the conduct.

Further criticism arose shortly after Hasson took office, when he convened a meeting with all club employees. After he was told that some of the senior staff, including sports director Georgios Dinas and coach Dimitris Itoudis, were abroad and could participate via Zoom, he refused. The decision sparked internal criticism.

The one who will have to decide is the owner, who is abroad for business meetings. His associates say that Yanai is angry. According to them, this is exactly why he appointed experienced officials — so they could manage the club even in his absence. The criticism from Yanai's associates is directed at both sides — both Hasson and Reichenstein. The message from his side is clear: find a way to work together, without him having to intervene himself or make a decision like terminating the position of one of them.