Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club’s fans are in for an exciting change this season. The team which has won 51 Israeli Championships, 44 Israeli Cups and 6 League Cups is bringing back one of their successful coaches from the past. Maccabi general manager Nikola Vujcic has decided to go back to the man that brought the team the title in the Israeli Super League 06-07 season. Neven Spahija who is a world renowned coach has signed a three-year contract to be their head coach.

Maccabi Tel Aviv BC is a professional basketball club based in Tel Aviv, Israel. The club started in the mid 1930’s, as part of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Sports Club, which was founded in 1906. The team plays in the Israel Basketball League, Winner League as well as the Euroleague. The team attracts huge crowds both at home and on the road. The Maccabi Tel Aviv BC is recognized as the. most successful team in Israel which also represents the Jewish people all around the world, while also being the pride and joy of the State of Israel. Maccabi is considered Israel’s national sporting representative in the world.

After last season’s unremarkable 10-20 record in the Euroleague, the team will now look for a more successful future with its new head coach.  Neven Spahija coached the club ten years ago and has accomplished a tremendous amount between then and now. He has moved all over the world over the course of the last decade coaching teams to victory. His most notable destination was to the United States where he was the assistant coach of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. Mike Budenholzer the head coach of the Hawks has been quoted saying, “His knowledge, experience and perspective have been important parts of our success as a group, and I am appreciative for all of his contributions to the Hawks.” During his time in Atlanta he helped the Hawks achieve a 60-22 record in one season, the best season in the franchise’s 65-year history.

Neven Spahija was born in Croatia on November 6, 1962. He started his coaching career in 1986 coaching with Elemes Šibenik, a women’s team in his home country. Since then he has risen in the ranks to become a well recognized basketball figure.  Neven Spahija has done it all to become one of the most highly respected coaches in the basketball world. Neven has led many teams to greatness and is one of the most successful coaches in Europe.  He has coached six different teams during the last seven EuroLeague seasons with a combined 67-56 record and reached the 2008 Final Four with Tau Ceramica Vitoria.  Spahija also won the 2010 EuroCup as head coach of Valencia Basket. He led the Croatia men’s national basketball team from 2001-2005 and in the past had earned the title of Croatian Coach of the Year.  He has won domestic league titles in six countries – Slovenia, Croatia, Lithuania, Spain, Turkey and Israel.

Neven Spahija is in the process of rebuilding Maccabi Tel Aviv.  He has signed on John DiBartolomeo, an American-Israeli guard, who has had enormous success in his career and helped Maccabi Haifa to the BSL final this past season. Negotiations are in the works for additional signings of players to further strengthen the team and bring home a winning season. Spahija is a welcome addition to the Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club, and will bring tremendous excitement to the games and to the team’s fans.