For years, Israel has been a „promised land“ for Serbian coaches and players. Many Serbian experts, such as Nedeljko Matić, Dragan Đukić, Vladan Jordović, won trophies, and a dozen more raised the level of quality of the local league and domestic players in their communities. The corona virus pandemic has reduced the number of foreign experts in Israeli teams from next season due to budget cuts.
A few days ago, the former coach of Partizan, Aleksandar Brković, said goodbye to the handball scene in Israel, who spent the last four years in the project of raising the younger national teams. Fitness coach Miloš Mitrović, who also cooperated with him during his engagement in Serbia, ended his cooperation with the Israelis with Brković.
One of the first handball players in the „holy land“ was Nikola Maksimović. The founder of RK New Belgrade, developed the Maccabi handball school from Tel Aviv over the years, and later led the first team before moving to the ambitious Ramat Hasharon last season. After six years in Tel Aviv, the team from New Belgrade will benefit, because Maksimović will have more time to dedicate to one of the best organized clubs in the capital:
- The six-year period in Israel has been more than successful. When I look behind me I have done a lot and built a very good rating in the Holy Land. The great life experience of staying abroad will certainly be useful to me for another, better handball destination. In professional terms, I have progressed a lot and I used all that period to improve as a coach. A lot of acquired friends from the world of handball is something immeasurable – says Maksimović, who also works as the selector of the Georgian national team, and adds:
- In the next year, I will be in RK New Belgrade. I will try to raise the organization of the club to a higher level – as it was until 5-6 years ago. I will definitely get involved in field work, above all individually with our talented players who are always there. We plan to expand the professional staff with one or two more coaches who will primarily be engaged in popularizing new members – something we have been missing in Serbian handball for years. In a few days, we will formalize the long-term cooperation with a stable super league. I have a lot of plans, but it will also depend on the current situation to what extent I will be able to realize them.
Maksimovic’s former associate from the first phase of work in RK New Belgrade, Milos Simic, left Israel after five years. After working in the junior categories of Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ramat Hasharon, where he was part of the professional staff of the first team, the 37-year-old coach, originally from Bor, became independent on the bench of the second league Ace in 2018.
- I had excellent conditions for working in Asa, the players developed together with the club. Unfortunately, the new situation related to the corona virus, combined with the fact that in the sixth year of stay, the tax for foreigners becomes much higher, led to the fact that the club was not able to continue cooperation. The contract was not extended, although long-term cooperation was planned on both sides – says Simić.
