Barak Yitzhaki Moves Away from Maccabi Haifa as Search Turns Abroad
Barak Yitzhaki's potential appointment as Maccabi Haifa coach fades due to his contract in Cyprus, prompting Sporting Director Lior Refaelov to target foreign managers.
Maccabi Haifa is closing in on the appointment of a new head coach, but Barak Yitzhaki's chances of taking over are diminishing rapidly due to his current commitments in Cyprus. Yitzhaki, who recently took charge of Anorthosis Famagusta just over two weeks ago, faces a complex situation with no release clause in his contract.
Sources close to Yitzhaki indicated that under different circumstances, he would have requested a release or negotiated a relatively low compensation package. If the Cypriot club had agreed, the identity of Maccabi Haifa's next manager would have been immediately resolved.
With the domestic managerial market offering limited viable options, Sporting Director Lior Refaelov is now shifting his primary focus toward foreign candidates. Refaelov has already initiated discussions with several prospective managers, leveraging his extensive connections from his playing career in Belgian football. Club officials noted that while the current security situation in Israel leads many foreign coaches to reject offers outright, Refaelov firmly believes an international manager can extract much better performances from the existing squad.
Despite the managerial search, the technical staff and club management share a unanimous consensus that the current roster remains fully capable of competing for the championship title this season, with necessary squad adjustments planned for the upcoming January transfer window. The incoming head coach will spend the next two months evaluating the team before executing precise player reinforcements.
