Rami Hadar steps down from Maccabi bench

Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv is going to have at least its third coach this season after Rami Hadar resigned from its bench on Friday, the club has announced. Hadar, 50, had taken the reins from Erez Edelshtein in October after the team started the season with back-to-back losses in the EuroLeague. After an initial surge, including a three-game winning streak with victories over Fenerbahce Istanbul and Olympiacos Piraeus, Maccabi has lost three straight games, including an 83-58 capitulation to Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade on Thursday. The team is in the bottom half of the standings with a 5-7 record. Assistant coach Lior Lubin will lead the team in an interim capacity while a head coach search is conducted, Maccabi announced.

"After the game last night in Belgrade, I decided to ask management to be released as head coach of Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv," Hadar said in the club's statement. "That was after I came to the conclusion that I could not bring about the necessary change now for the team. The decision is made with a heavy heart and I realize that it reflects the degree of my responsibility for the results. The management and owner really supported me with the best means, and I want to thank them for that. I want to thank my staff – Lior, Tim and Regev – on their professionalism and companionship."