By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Maccabi Tel Aviv minority owner Richard Deitz has denied claims that he is delaying the signing of a new player, responding to allegations made by former Maccabi coach Pini Gershon on Israel Hayom’s “Al Habazer” podcast.
Gershon alleged that sporting director Claudio Coldebella had identified potential signings and that funds were available, but that Deitz was holding up the process with additional questions. He said his information was backed by emails, although Israel Hayom noted that the correspondence had not been made public at the time and the reasons for the delays could not be independently established.
In a statement dated October 30, Deitz rejected that account.
“I can say definitively that this is FAKE NEWS. In fact, as often unfortunately seems to be the case lately with Maccabi Tel Aviv, the opposite is true,” he wrote.
The exchange comes amid an ongoing dispute over Maccabi’s ownership and governance. In an earlier statement, Deitz said the dispute was heading to arbitration, with mediation also planned, and contested the status of certain share transactions.
Addressing recruitment, Deitz argued that his views had not prevented roster decisions earlier in the season.
“Maccabi today has a majority owner, Oudi Recanati, with 58%. Every player signed this summer was approved by Oudi without regard to my opinion,” he wrote. “When I did express my opinions about contracts, I was simply ignored.”
Deitz then outlined his account of discussions following Iffe Lundberg’s injury in practice on October 20. He said he received no communication about potential replacements for five days, before Coldebella circulated an email outlining options on October 25.
According to Deitz, Coldebella had initially been instructed to find a relatively inexpensive young player with development potential, preferably from the Israeli league. Deitz said he had not been consulted and believed those instructions could only have come from Shimon Mizrahi or Recanati.
He said Coldebella subsequently provided a shortlist and a broader scouting report, to which he responded within three hours, urging clarity and a decision. After Coldebella asked what action he expected, Deitz said he replied: “We need actionable recommendations…We’ve got to narrow down to who you want (and why) and how do we get him.”
Deitz insisted that he supported moving quickly to reinforce the roster.
“Only after making it perfectly clear to Claudio and the other owners that I supported moving ASAP to bring a new player did Shimon and Oudi respond with their readiness to sign a player.”
He further alleged that their replies omitted the full email thread containing his correspondence.
“What seemed odd to me at the time might now be interpreted as a deliberate move to create a false narrative.”
Deitz said he attached the correspondence to his statement, redacting sensitive sporting and financial information, so readers could assess the exchange themselves. He concluded by calling for greater transparency.
“The modern generation expects transparency. Maccabi needs to shift to meet those expectations. It is the way to build trust and common ground.”
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