As Euroleague.net reports, Maccabi Tel Aviv named Effi Birenboim as the new head coach of the club on Thursday. Birenboim, 54, is a veteran Israeli who has made a name for himself by coaching 23 straight seasons in the top league in Israel.
This marks the first time Birenboim will coach Maccabi, although he does have experience at the top European level, having coached Hapoel Jerusalem in the 1997-98 Euroleague. Birenboim replaces Zvika Sherf, who led Maccabi to the Euroleague Final Four last season in Madrid. Sherf is still in talks with management regarding his role with the club.
It wasn’t a big secret that the Maccabi organization and the Maccabi fans weren’t happy with coach Sherf, who is also still coaching the Israeli national team. It just sounds a little bit funny that a head coach would remain in the organization for “some job,” doesn’t it? What does he want to be? Head of scouting? Telling the new coach who to get? I am pretty sure, that Zvika will not have a management role at the club unless no club at all wants him to be the head coach.
