Itoudis Claims League Foreigner Rules Aim to Hurt Hapoel Tel Aviv
Following a defeat to Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Dimitris Itoudis criticized domestic foreign player limits, claiming the rules target his club.
Hapoel Tel Aviv head coach Dimitris Itoudis claimed that recent changes and restrictions on registering foreign players in the Israeli Basketball Super League were deliberately designed "to hurt Hapoel Tel Aviv," following his team's defeat to Hapoel Jerusalem.
Reflecting on the game, Itoudis expressed disappointment over the performance and the atmosphere. "I want to thank the fans who came; it was important for the players, and it's a pity we didn't let them celebrate," he said. He pointed out critical flaws, including 17 turnovers, losing battles for loose balls, and being outrebounded under their own basket, concluding that such statistics meant his side did not deserve to win.
Addressing questions about why star guards Vasilije Micic and Tomas Satoransky were left out of the domestic roster, Itoudis explained that both players had been dealing with injuries and personal circumstances, while hitting back at media criticism. Regarding the league's foreign player quota restrictions—which were recently capped at eight players from a larger squad—Itoudis remarked sarcastically, "We knew we would have ten foreigners to choose five from, and now it's limited to eight. You can move to four, three, two, or no foreigners at all. That would be an interesting decision."
Hapoel Tel Aviv captain Tomer Ginat also commented on the disappointing 60-point offensive output. "Disappointing result, we wanted to win. Statistics show a big difference in rebounding and our ability to generate hustle. Jerusalem plays very strong and aggressive defense, and we need to make adjustments," Ginat noted.
