The champions Hapoel Holon will join Delasport BIBL from Stage 2

The field in Delasport Balkan League is getting more and more competitive as the champions from last season - Hapoel Holon, will once again be a part of the competition. The management of BIBL and the one of the club were in negotiation in the past few weeks and it can be confirmed that the Israeli side will join from Stage 2. Hapoel is receiving a wild card to enter the competition at a later stage due to being the current champion of Delasport Balkan League.

Hapoel Holon was founded in 1947 and is one of the founding clubs in Israeli top division in 1954. The biggest success without doube came in 2008 when the team won its first and only Israeli championship. Hapoel has also won the Cup of Israeli two times and the League cup also twice.

The last season was also a very successful one for the team. OF course it was capped by Hapoel winning the Delasport Balkan League trophy at the Final 4 at home after beating Akademik Plovdiv in the final. Moreover the team reached also the Final 8 of the Champions League and also the 1/2 final of Israeli League.

Hapoel Holon will once again play in the Champions League after being one of the best teams in the competition last season. The team was drawn in Group G with Darussafara, Happy Casa Brindisi and the winner from the Qualification round which will be held in the Greek city of Peristeri.

Following last season there were some changes made to the roster of Hapoel with the main one involving the head coach position. Stefanos Dedas was replaced by experienced Italian Maurizio Buscaglia who was named the Eurocup coach of the Year in 2016 when leading Trento. He is also currently the head coach of the National team of Netherlands and has worked in Mestre, Perugia, Reggio Emilia and Brescia as well.

So far in the off-season Hapoel has signed Steven Gray, Joe Ragland, Mark Ogden, Rafi Menco, Michale Kyser and Eidan Alber. It was also kept the legend Guy Pnini as well as the likes of Frederic Bourdillon, Niv Misgav and youngster Ofek Fogelman.

Until September 6th, Delasport Balkan League will provide information on how Stage 2 will be held and what the rules will be.