Slobodan Derpich will coach Hapoel Haifa? Could very well be so. Negotiations between the parties are progressing while officials at the club share that Marco’s confusion option is still on the table, but since he is currently abroad it is easier to advance matters against Drapich.
The club also shares that Belbul and Drapich asked for a similar salary, and that the choice of which direction to turn will not be made according to the salary the coach will receive, but according to related expenses. The club highly values both coaches and there is no professional preference for either of them, but while Confusion sought to bring with it a very broad professional team that includes an assistant coach, fitness trainer, and sports physiologist, Drapich insisted on a fitness trainer only.
Of course, the size of the professional team has economic significance, and Yoav Katz would also be happy to maintain the existing professional team, but he will not insist on it if it is only a fitness trainer. In such a situation, Drapich’s fitness coach will either be added to Danny Bibbs, the existing fitness coach, or replace him since at the beginning of the current season Bibbs asked to leave and finally stayed at Yoav Katz’s request, so Bibbs himself may prefer to move on to the next challenge.
Drapich and Katz have not yet met, but a meeting has taken place between Katz and Drapich’s agent Shimon Abuhatzira. So far, Katz has met directly with only two coaches: Marco Belbul and Tomer Kashtan, but insiders share that the meeting with Kashtan took place mainly out of mutual respect between the parties.
Today at 15:00 the owner will arrive for a ceremonial inauguration of the Hapoel Haifa Hall of Fame in Sami Ofer in the presence of Haifa Mayor Dr. Einat Klish-Rotem and Stadium Chairman of the Itamar Chizik Stadium. After the launch event, a conversation is expected between Drapich and Katz, with the club hoping that things will close as soon as possible and as long as Yoav Katz is in Israel.