After the dismissal of Kobi Merafa following the disappointing start of the season, Hapoel Tel Aviv introduced a new coach today (Monday) after Slobodan Drapich signed with the club and spoke at a press conference after the appointment. During Omer Buxenbaum’s words, shouts were heard from the Hapoel Tel Aviv fans who came to express a protest against the management.
Slobodan Drapić He opened his words: “The process of a coach who sits at home is simple: he wants to find a job. Our job is not easy and when we sit at home we are just looking for work. You always think of big teams like Hapoel Tel Aviv with the biggest crowd and as soon as they contacted me we closed the contract in five minutes.”
The coach continued: “Other offers fell through because of all kinds of conditions between the parties, but when Hapoel Tel Aviv came with its conditions, it was closed quickly. The team has a not bad squad at all with good players, with a certain method we can be attractive and bring the crowd. I remember that Kobe Medicine had an amazing season and brought the team to the top playoffs and that’s where we want to be.”
On entering after the start of the season: “I have certain requirements and we hope that the connection between us will be appropriate. When you come in the middle of the season, it’s hard to demand and change, it’s harder to bring in new staff members, but I talked to the staff members and I don’t want to take away anyone’s livelihood, maybe I’ll be pleased with them.”
Drapich continued: “The goal is to play good football. Hapoel Tel Aviv is one of the biggest clubs in Israel, today we are at the bottom with three points and we want to move forward and bring the fans because they may be a big factor. As a player, they wanted me in Hapoel Tel Aviv and it didn’t work out, but you always want to get to clubs like that. In Kiryat Shmona, I enjoyed myself, but I lacked something like that which is in the big clubs.”
“Last year there was a midfielder who didn’t want him, but I was happy with him and let him play. I might come here and be surprised by some players and I might come to Boxenbaum and tell him we need reinforcements. We have 27 players in the squad and I think it’s an excellent squad and we can run at least until January. Everything is realistic, I think that if Maccabi Netanya was in Europe, so can Hapoel Tel Aviv. We want to be better, but you can’t talk about such things when the confidence of the players has dropped following the results. I need the players and the audience and I will have to broadcast something to them so that we can consolidate.”
The professional manager Omar Buxenbaum He said: “It is realistic to succeed, Netanya also changed a coach with one win and reached Europe. The team’s roster was not built in a healthy way due to all kinds of constraints at the beginning, we had to make corrections, but the base and the roster are good enough to be in the top playoffs.”
On the relationship with Kobi, who left Medicine: “There was no problem between me and Kobi, we came from a good place. In the end, on a professional level, you see that we didn’t succeed, this connection didn’t work and there was something closed that we couldn’t open. The role of coach is a brutal one. I was a professional manager for many years in the youth departments and the job is different from what I do now and I’m still learning as I go.”
Regarding the audience’s complaints about the purchase, he added: “Hapoel Tel Aviv sold players, but most of the money has not yet come in and some of it is also earmarked for next year. Everyone thinks that Hapoel Tel Aviv has money, so they offer you players who are worth NIS 200,000 for NIS 700,000.” Regarding the closing of the stands, he added: “The crowd gave impressive displays of encouragement and it is unprecedented for a stand to be closed in such a beautiful setting. I hope that the association will consider this and that on Wednesday we will receive compensation.”
Boxenbaum concluded his words: “I know that for the first time being a professional manager of Hapoel Tel Aviv is the job of my life, it’s a difficult job and I’m experiencing it first hand, but the club is running well. We made and will make mistakes, but we behave well and correct them. In the end, the graduates are only looked at the results and now, that’s why we made the change and I believe that Slovo can be a winning coach.”