Maccabi’s new veteran Italian GM is tasked with rebuilding the yellow-and-blue amid war-related challenges, while still aiming for all in Europe.
Maccabi Tel Aviv officially welcomed new general manager Claudio Coldebella to the club at a festive press conference held at the Maccabi Hall of Fame at Yad Eliyahu. The 57-year-old Italian arrives in Israel with a wealth of experience, having held the same position at a number of teams in Italy as well as in Russia.
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While the yellow-and-blue ended last season tied with Hapoel Jerusalem at one game apiece in the league championship best-of-3 series that never came to a proper end due to the outbreak of the war with Iran, the mission that Coldebella has been tasked with is clear: build the best possible squad within the confines and restrictions that Maccabi is currently under.
The past two seasons saw Oded Katash’s team have to play all of the Euroleague home games in Belgrade because of the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza, and this season looks to be heading the same way, with Maccabi having to play abroad yet again.
Coldebella, who starred as a player in Italy and Greece, was well aware of the challenges that the club has been facing and those they will also have to deal with in the future. But first and foremost, he began his remarks by addressing the most important issue on the minds of most Israelis – the hostages still being held in Gaza.
“I want to start by saying that I look forward to the return of the hostages. We all want to see them come home. When I arrived in Tel Aviv in April, I immediately understood how special basketball is in this country and to this club in particular. I didn’t want to disturb the professional team that was very focused on its goals last season, but I did take the first steps in how to organize the club.”
“This is a special club,” Coldebella continued. “I feel so special and very proud and lucky to be here, and I am grateful to those who gave me the chance to be at such an important club. As a player, I played many times in Yad Eliyahu – it is a place that has changed a lot from what it was before. This is my first day, and it is very exciting for me. This is a great responsibility that I put on my shoulders – to do my best for the club.”
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Claudio Coldebella arrives with a clear vision and years of first-level experience
Coldebella will want to put his own mark on the team with fresh and new ideas and thoughts, as he is coming into the job after having had a very successful two-year run at Pallacanestro Reggiana.
“As an Italian, it was not easy for me to come here. The last two years were not easy for the fans and the team either. Now, I have a goal to revive the atmosphere again, and we need to return as soon as possible to play at home. I have a lot of passion to start new things. I am here to present my philosophy and ideas, but the main idea is simple – to continue the legacy of this club. It has the DNA of winners, and even with all the problems we had last season, the club always tries to present the best basketball and to never give up. That is the first goal we have to take care of.”
“For several months now, my team and I have been trying to create a way for the team to improve from last season. We are sure that we are facing a difficult season. European basketball continues to develop, and we must build the team to be competitive. We need to bring players who fit the spirit of Maccabi, players who are able to give their best for this legendary club and then implement the physical and tactical ideas with the coach and the professional staff. From the first day I met the team, I had a great feeling because I felt that we could do beautiful things together. We will have a good future if we know how to do things together. I believe that you can do good things only if you know how to work with other people by your side – from the management, the owners, the fans – all of the people who surround this club.”
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With that, Coldebella will have to not only put together a team that can compete in the local domestic league against the likes of Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem, but also in the Euroleague, which has expanded to twenty teams and 38 games from 34 in previous years. The key will be to find the best players to fit the team and its personality – not necessarily the fanciest and most expensive names on the market.
“This club has shown more than once that it knows how to find the right players, and the first name that comes to mind is Devin Smith, who was an underrated player – maybe not the hottest name on the market, but a special player who showed how this club is able to find players and give them the platform to perform. In sports, it’s not necessarily the team that has the most money that wins; there are so many things that make the difference. I can say that we want players who will build a competitive team, and there is still a lot of work to do.”
Coldebella will need to find a number of players for the 2025/26 roster, and with training camp set to open in a little over a month, he has his work cut out for him. But as he explained, there is still plenty of time to do what needs to be done for Maccabi to be a force to be reckoned with.
“I am optimistic and very positive. I know what we have now, and I know that we need to build carefully. The market this year can move very quickly at the beginning of the offseason, and I see a lot of signings, but in our situation, of course, it is not easy. June 13th, which was the start of the war with Iran, was not easy for us, and it was difficult to sign players during the war. We continued to work – it was not the time to sign new players, but it increased the strength of the club for me. Especially when you sleep in the parking lot because you are close to the center of Tel Aviv, where it is dangerous. I don’t want to judge anyone – we are talking and trying to find solutions within our family.”
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Rokas Jokubaitis was the player that Coldebella was referring to, and there have been multiple reports that he is looking to sign with another Euroleague club and leave Maccabi due to the unfortunate experiences he faced during the recent war. However, the Lithuanian guard is a crucial piece of the puzzle for the yellow-and-blue, and the club wants to see him continue in Tel Aviv.
“Every time Rokas played, he did it with full passion, and his connection with the club and the fans was special. At this time, I can tell you that there is controversy about Jokubaitis’s future. We need to see what direction this will go in the upcoming days. For some of our players, the situation in Israel was not easy. I don’t want to judge anyone.”
Many of the fans have been vocal about the lack of big-name signings and held a protest outside of the arena before Coldebella’s introduction. However, instead of the Italian being upset, he welcomed their concern for the club and offered his thoughts on finding the right players.
“I think it’s an important issue, and as an Italian, we are similar to Israelis – everyone wants to show their feelings. The fans are the most important thing. We know what it was like the last two years when we were without our fans by our side. I understand the passion, the hunger, and the expectations, and I think that’s a positive thing. But we must not forget the way the league ended. We are looking for these names. I think TJ Leaf is a great one, and we are working – we are trying to make our fans happy and proud, and I am convinced that we will do that.”
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Coldebella continued: “Signing players so that it appears on Twitter or Instagram is not my way. TJ Leaf is a name that was a focus of ours from last season, and I’m glad we were able to sign him. The fact that we have him as an Israeli player is a great thing. He’s a top Euroleague player, and this is a first step. I was very impressed by the level of the Israeli league. I look at this league and it has good players and smart coaches – it’s an excellent league. The Israeli players are very important, and we’re lucky to have the best coach like Oded Katash. We have to continue growing in this way.”
Just prior to ending the hour-long session, Coldebella returned to the main issue that has plagued Maccabi the past couple of years, which is not playing Euroleague home games in Tel Aviv, with the hope that this will happen in the near future.
“Tel Aviv is our home – that’s what the club is called. Personally, I don’t like hearing about a club that doesn’t play at its home, and we need to play in Tel Aviv. Last season we were in Belgrade, and we need to find a way to get back to Tel Aviv. It’s an amazing city. I love Belgrade, but in the winter I prefer Tel Aviv.”