Hapoel Tel Aviv head coach Dimitris Itoudis delivered a defiant message to critics following his team's landmark 89-84 victory over city rivals Maccabi Tel Aviv on April 12, 2026. The win secured Hapoel's first-ever qualification for the EuroLeague playoffs in the club's history.
"Give us more haters," Itoudis stated in his post-game press conference, as reported by Eurohoops. "We are going to use it as fuel. We are going to use it as motivation." The coach's comments were a direct response to criticism faced during the season.
The victory, played at the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade due to security concerns in Israel, marked a historic achievement for the club in its debut EuroLeague season. Hapoel Tel Aviv finished the regular season with an 18-16 record, clinching the 8th and final playoff berth.
In the playoffs, Hapoel will face the top-seeded Spanish team, Real Madrid. The best-of-five series is scheduled to begin on April 22, 2026.
