By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
In the midst of preparations for the upcoming EuroLeague campaign and domestic competitions, Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv held its preseason press conference at the Menora Mivtachim Arena. Club chairman Shimon Mizrahi, coach Giannis Sfairopoulos and sport director Nikola Vujcic discussed summer developments and the 2019-20 season.
Per Maccabi: “Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv held its traditional opening season press conference for the 2020 season, at Maccabi’s Hall of Fame at Menora Mivtachim Arena. The event was streamed live on the club’s official Facebook page.
Club chairman Shimon Mizrahi, coach Giannis Sfairopoulos and sport director Nikola Vujcic all sat center stage alongside the players, club owners, team management, employees, sponsor’s representatives and the media who were all invited to the event.
Throughout the evening, the club featured Maccabi’s training camp abroad, the upcoming season team activities and introduced the 2020 roster and coaching staff.
Chairman Shimon Mizrahi, who is opening his 51st season under the Yellow and Blue colors, said in his opening statement: “We are proud and satisfied that we were able to preserve the coaching staff and eight of our players from the past season”.
“The team came back in good form from the last preparation tournament, and now we are heading towards Greece to face a Euroleague level tournament”, added Mizrahi. “For the first time this season the team will be in full roster after the arrival of Scottie Wilbekin from the Basketball World Cup in China and the return of Jake Cohen from the ELPA meeting in Barcelona”.
Sport director Nikola Vujcic spoke about the start of the new season: “During the summer we did a good job as we brought in great guys and talent to our team. Last year we were very close to reaching the top 8, we fought until the last moment. I believe this year we will be very competitive, and now it’s up to the coaches and players. It always takes time for a group of guys to become a team”.
Coach Giannis Sfairopoulos added: “Erev Tov (Good evening in Hebrew), a new season for Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv is about to begin, a season with a lot of ambitions, dreams and willingness to succeed. All summer long the people around the club did their finest to bring in the best players to help the team reach our goals”.
“It’s good we were able to keep eight players from last season as we added seven more this summer, we have a good group of players”, said Sfairopoulos. “We want this squad to be a solid team, a competitive one that plays together and understands my philosophy. We are still learning each other, every day we are together, the team gets better. We need to understand that this is a period of working hard, and that’s what we are doing”.”