By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
In a phone interview with the Greek television network SKAI on Tuesday, Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv head coach Dimitris Itoudis provided a harrowing account of the escalating security crisis in Israel. Speaking from Athens International Airport, the 55-year-old tactician walked through the reasons for his journey with the squad, traveling through Eilat and Egypt to relocate the team’s operations to Sofia, Bulgaria.
Addressing the brief return of the 2025-26 EuroLeague Regular Season to Israel, Itoudis expressed deep skepticism regarding the viability of further international basketball in the country. “I do not see how games can return to Israel,” he stated, following a projected decision by EuroLeague Basketball to once again move the home games of Israeli clubs to neutral venues for safety.
The two-time EuroLeague champion as a head coach described a terrifying missile strike that occurred near his residence in central Tel Aviv, situated close to the Greek Embassy. “Unfortunately, I had a very unpleasant experience,” he remarked. “There was a very powerful explosion, and unfortunately, a woman lost her life just 700 meters from my apartment. The noise was intense. I wouldn’t wish that feeling on anyone. I had to leave and spend the night in a hotel.”
With the domestic Winner League currently suspended, Itoudis is focused on stabilizing his team in the Bulgarian capital. Despite the upheaval, Hapoel Tel Aviv remains a contender, carrying a 17-11 record to rank fifth in the standings. As the team prepares for its final ten regular-season games in exile, Itoudis’s testimony serves as a stark reminder of the human cost overshadowing the sport. He concluded with a poignant plea: “Let there be peace. We must teach the next generations about peace and love.”