Maccabi Tel Aviv are sticking with Oded Kattash, and sporting director Claudio Coldebella is looking for another guard. That was the message after Sunday's 105–87 derby defeat to Hapoel Tel Aviv, a result that turned an already difficult start into a sharper test of the club's patience. Coldebella took responsibility for the slide and ruled out a coaching change in comments reported by Sportando.
The derby was a particularly bruising way to reach that conversation. Hapoel hit 19 of 31 three-pointers, with Vasilije Micić scoring 31 points, including nine triples. Maccabi's own match report and box score show Yam Madar leading the hosts with 18 points and Jimmy Clark supplying eight assists. Maccabi were 12 down at half-time and 20 behind entering the fourth quarter. This was an Israeli league defeat, not another EuroLeague result, but it compounded the pressure.
Europe has offered little shelter. Maccabi are 2–7 through nine EuroLeague rounds after a 99–94 home loss to Paris Basketball on 29 October. Clark scored 21 and Madar handed out nine assists in that game, yet the visitors forced 18 turnovers, according to Maccabi's account. The backcourt is producing moments; it is not consistently controlling games.
Coldebella's response is significant because it points to a roster problem rather than an imminent change on the bench. He acknowledged that the team is short of guards and said discussions with potential recruits are under way, while insisting the club will not sign somebody merely to be seen acting. Pianeta Basket's account also records his public support for Kattash. No new player or agreement was named.
The absence of Iffe Lundberg matters here. Coldebella identified the Danish guard as an important missing piece, not a convenient explanation for every loss. Maccabi extended Lundberg's contract in July after his contribution to last season's domestic title run. The immediate issue is how much creation and defensive work the available guards must share until the rotation changes.
Kattash's position also has a longer-term backdrop. Maccabi announced a three-year contract extension in April, keeping him in charge through 2029. Public backing in November does not fix the offence or the defence, but it does make the club's next move clearer: help the coach with the players he has, and search carefully for another option.
Friday's trip to Partizan in Belgrade is the next EuroLeague test, as listed on Maccabi's official fixture board. For fantasy managers, the distinction is practical. Madar and Clark have demonstrated playmaking responsibility, but an active search for a guard is not a signing, and it is certainly not a guaranteed minutes change. Watch the actual team sheet and rotation before treating this week's workload as permanent.
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