Maccabi Tel Aviv Seeks Recovery Against Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade
Maccabi Tel Aviv travels to face Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade on Tuesday following a tough week of losses. Coach Oded Kattash addressed team momentum, roster updates, and missing election day.
Following a challenging week that included EuroLeague defeat to Real Madrid and a domestic loss to Rishon LeZion, Maccabi Tel Aviv will face Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade on Tuesday at 21:00 for the eighth EuroLeague round. The visitors arrive in the Serbian capital holding a 2-5 record, determined to reverse their current momentum.
Head coach Oded Kattash addressed reporters before departure:
"It has clearly not been an easy week, and the game against Rishon LeZion did not unfold the way we wanted. We refuse to make excuses, as such things can happen in sport. We must learn from this, especially since the upcoming schedule will not get any easier. We face a double week against two very different opponents compared to the Spanish teams we recently played. These are highly capable squads with deep, talented rosters that excel in offensive rebounding, giving us an opportunity to show aggressiveness and commitment."
Commenting on the team's negative momentum, Kattash emphasized the early stage of the season:
"We are still in the initial phases. We had much better minutes in recent games, including against Rishon LeZion, and we played a solid first half against Real Madrid. We must stay positive. The only thing worse than a defeat itself is poor body language and negative energy. The sole path forward is staying positive and finding ways to execute better."
Regarding roster reinforcements following Iffe Lundberg's injury, Kattash clarified his stance:
"I hear people trying to speak on my behalf or perhaps misunderstanding my words. I heard claims that I am trying to send a message to the management, so I want to be entirely clear: I sent no such message. I trust the management and Claudio 100 percent, and efforts are underway to sign a new guard. The ownership is very keen on this, and there is genuine progress in trying to secure a player. I have no hidden agenda; we simply need to find the right player in a difficult market."
Finally, the coach addressed missing Israel's upcoming election day due to the away fixture:
"Tomorrow is a critical and vital day, especially given everything we have experienced in recent years. Voting is always important, and we deeply regret not being able to take part in it."
