By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Taking over as the Alba Berlin head coach for the 2021-22 season, Israel Gonzalez guided his side to a couple of domestic titles and from there signed a three-year contract extension. Alba confirmed the Spanish tactician at the helm for three more seasons on Tuesday.
“I am very happy that we are continuing this project together,” he noted, “Alba Berlin is a great club and I am very proud to be part of this time that feels like family every day.”
Gonzalez, 47, replaced Aito Garcia Reneses after working as his assistant coach at the German club for four years from 2017 to 2021 and at Gran Canaria from 2014 to 2016. His stint at the Las Palmas outlet stretched from 2009 to 2017. Previous experience in Spain stemming from Cantabria Lobos marked the beginning of his coaching career in 2004.
In 2021-22, Alba earned a 12-16 record to fall a couple of wins short of clinching a berth in the Playoffs of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Domestically, it ranked on top of Germany’s easyCredit BBL regular-season standings and swept both Brose Bamberg and MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg before the championship best-of-five series and taking down FC Bayern Munich in four games. Shaping the double was capturing the German Cup, known as BBL Pokal.
Completing the first move of the offseason a couple of weeks ago, the team based in Berlin penned 24-year-old German power forward Tim Schneider to a three-year contract extension. More moves are expected ahead of the 2022-23 season and the next EuroLeague campaign paired with domestic competitions.