By Achilleas Mavrodontis/ info@eurohoops.net
Maccabi Tel Aviv needed a change in order to once again find its lost DNA and become a team that can rise to the top of the EuroLeague as a protagonist. The way that fans and opponents of the “Yellows” knew them.
This change was coach Giannis Sfairopoulos.
When Sfairopoulos signed with Maccabi in November 2018 a wind of change arrived in Tel Aviv. The first season was a “reconnaissance period” but in the second one, Maccabi shined under the guidance of the Greek coach and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2015. That’s with six games left in the regular season. Everyone has recognized the transformation of the team for the better. One great proof of this was the fact that EuroLeague general managers voted Sfairopoulos as “Coach of the Year” halfway through the season.
It’s not surprising that Sfairopoulos is worshiped like a god in Tel Aviv by the fans of Maccabi who express their love and gratitude towards him in every given opportunity. This relationship with Maccabi fans, plus his goals with the team and many other topics were discussed by Sfairopoulos in an interview with Eurohoops.
You have a huge project right now on Maccabi, let’s say a new Nikola Milutinov: Deni Avdija. How high can he go?
He’s a very talented athlete who’s been far at a very young age. He’s worked really really hard over the years and very methodically. He’s improved his game a lot and has made really big progress. Especially this year because last year we didn’t have him full time. He was with Maccabi B’, the Israeli youth team and the Next Gen. Overall, he was two days with the senior team, five days out, three days in, three days out. So it was difficult, especially for him, to adjust to the standards of the senior team. Since last summer when he was with us permanently, his progress was really big. As a result, his game changed a lot to the better after November. It’s a matter of time to see him in the NBA I believe. He’s an NBA player.
Although the season in EuroLeague won’t continue, you are getting ready for the Israeli League games. How is this preparation process for you?
First of all, it’s a process that we respect. We respect the decision to play. We are all simply thinking about the health of everyone involved. Basketball is our life but health is what keeps us in life. So, if we don’t have our health, we won’t be able to play basketball. This is why health is our priority. From the moment that a decision to play was taken, we will be ready to do that, we just want to ensure the health of our players in regards to both the coronavirus and the possibility of injury, after such a long period of hiatus. These two are the most important things for me. Our preparation is going well, always under the instructions, we receive from the Israeli Ministry of Health and the specialists. We respect their decisions and move forward to make our effort for the rest of the season.
What do you think about EuroLeague canceling the season?
It’s much more difficult for EuroLeague to organize the remainder of the season than for a domestic league. EuroLeague must synchronize 10 different countries from which the 18 teams come. Yes, maybe the teams could’ve gathered to one place but that wouldn’t be easy. For EuroLeague to continue, you had to have many teams from many countries, healthy amid a pandemic in the same place. On the other hand, it’s more easily manageable when you want to organize a league from one country. This is why I believe that ECA did the right thing with not continuing the season. Of course, this leaves a bitter taste to us because after five years, Maccabi managed to reach the playoffs, even though we still had six games left in the regular season. We had a good run and we wanted to continue playing. But, considering the health of everyone, I think that the decision to cancel the season was the right one. Even though we – everyone that’s involved – aren’t happy with it. For me, it was a right and necessary decision.
It’s a given that Maccabi Tel Aviv is a team with a champion’s DNA. Yet over the last years, the team wasn’t in the condition and out of the playoffs for four straight seasons. How difficult was it for you to reverse things and make them have a leading role again?
For me, the most important thing was to immediately change the mentality that was there in previous years. And by that, I mean making the team competitive once more. To compete for the win in every game. I wanted us to once again find the DNA and the character that Maccabi had. I think that slowly we are building this and we continue doing it. We work very hard in order to improve our players and our team and we climb higher steadily. Step by step.
You reached the EuroLeague Final twice with Olympiacos but you didn’t win the title after facing the Final Four hosts both times (2015, 2017). Do you imagine yourself reaching the title with Maccabi?
“No one knows what the future brings. I think that Maccabi always has big goals. Of course, I as well have big personal goals. We fit together, DNA-wise, and for me, this is very important in creating a very competitive outfit that, of course, will aim high. However, I want us to move step by step. Not like a firework that will make a big “bang” and then collapse and go out. I want to create a team that will steadily be at the top spots in the ranking and will always compete for the Final Four.
Maccabi fans learned to speak Greek thanks to you and even sang “Giannis I love you” in Greek. How do you experience this?
“What I experience here in Tel Aviv with the fans of Maccabi is tremendous, breathtaking. They show the fans’ great love towards me. Of course, the fans know that I’ll always show them, my love, as well, in any way I can. I wish I could hug them one by one, all the fans that support us. Not only me but the whole team. This recognition I receive from Maccabi fans is an unprecedented feeling. We have a special relationship. I thank them and they know that this love goes both ways. I’ll never forget this relationship and I will always have it in my heart.