Shtilman: "Harel is trying to become an owner in Maccabi" - and the response was sharp

One of the stormiest summers in the history of Maccabi Tel Aviv continues to provide headlines. The confrontation surrounding the ownership struggle at Maccabi Tel Aviv escalated this morning (Monday), when Arik Shtilman claimed that Guy Harel, the former CEO of Hapoel Jerusalem, is involved in Jason Levin's investor group - and Harel, for his part, attacked in a particularly sharp manner and denied the things.

Shtilman wrote on Twitter: "Another deal in a dark room by Recanati. Simply a huge humiliation for Shimon and for Maccabi! Guy Harel, CEO of Hapoel Jerusalem and the reddest person there is, is Jason Levin's partner and is trying to become a shareholder in Maccabi. A yellow-blue line has been crossed! Shame!".

Harel, who serves as a mediator between the American businessman and the yellow club, did not remain silent: "Listen for a second - you are rambling in delusions, and your advisors are not giving you good advice. You should be focused on inventions and messages, I don't know if it will bring you better results, but it is certainly more correct for the campaign. Go for it". Afterwards he clarified: "So there will be no doubt - the man is lying. I will say gently that it is not the first time. A quiet day to everyone. Regards to the operator".

The tweets came after Shtilman raised the same claim in an interview with the "Maccabipod" podcast, where he revealed the story: "You know who is going to be a shareholder in Maccabi Tel Aviv together with Jason? Guy Harel, CEO of Hapoel Jerusalem. Guy is becoming a partner of Jason Levin in Maccabi Tel Aviv. I don't think Recanati can humiliate Shimon more, and by the way, he cannot humiliate the Maccabi crowd either. Guy Harel from Hapoel Jerusalem, partner of Jason Levin in Maccabi Tel Aviv. Is there a limit to the delusion? Where can one reach? These are things I never imagined in my life".

Shtilman also linked the things to the company structure of the Levin group and claimed: "Why is it registered in Delaware? Because Delaware is one of the few states in the United States where you cannot pull the list of shareholders from the registrar of companies". Afterwards he added: "Why are the shareholders hidden? Because Guy Harel is there. Because maybe there are all sorts of other super problematic people there. Maccabi Tel Aviv and its fans deserve transparency". Here too, it is important to emphasize, these are Shtilman's claims, which Harel, as mentioned, vehemently rejected.

But the interview did not end with the Hapoel Jerusalem ex-official. Shtilman provided a sharp attack on the Recanati family and on the way he claims the deal with Levin was carried out. "What happened here in a simply scandalous way is that the Recanati family, as usual with zero credibility, went behind the back of all the Maccabi shareholders and made a deal behind the scenes, in a dark room, with Jason Levin", he said. According to him, the deal contradicts the shareholders' agreement and he intends to act against it legally.

Later, he claimed that the trust between the shareholders is at a low point: "The other shareholders are currently boiling. What you see from me on social media is nothing compared to the closed room that is happening there. Zero trust in Recanati, in Shai and in Udi. Zero trust. Only artillery inside the room. They cannot sit in the same room and be partners for another minute".

From Shtilman's perspective, the root of the problem at Maccabi is deeper than the current deal. "This is the disease of Maccabi. There is no company with two heads. And what is happening at Maccabi is that there are five heads", he said. "The only way for this team to get out of the mess is to have one controlling owner, one body that holds more than 50%, and then life is very simple". He even claimed that "all the owners of Maccabi except Recanati do not want the Jason Levin deal".

Shtilman also clarified that he does not intend to lower the flames against Recanati. "I will not stop and I will not let him go until he is not at Maccabi. Even if it takes me 100 years, I will continue and I will get him out of Maccabi, because I think he is the problem of Maccabi", he said. "My battle with Recanati is the battle for the future of Maccabi. You can change players all the time. Owners are damage for 10, 20 years ahead".

Alongside the ownership struggle, Shtilman also attacked the professional setup at the club and claimed that the scouting system was dismantled. "At Maccabi Tel Aviv there is nothing. It will now take a minimum of two years to build it again", he said. "You can throw money and sign whatever players you want, but it will never be enough... The fact that there is no scouting system, it is a disgrace and a shame".

In conclusion, Shtilman returned to the change he demands in the control structure: "Maccabi Tel Aviv needs to undergo a structural change in ownership, and as long as that does not happen, I will not be silent. So to my great regret, at least for another 30 or 40 days you will hear from me. Hopefully, in another 30-40 days I will disappear and you will not hear from me anymore".