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Soccer / The sad story behind the Dahan dictatorship By Tomer Rothman Coach Dudu Dahan runs Hakoach Ramat Gan with an iron fist. This hasn't prevented the team from gaining only seven points out of a possible 33 in the season so far. Of course, Dahan has a convenient excuse for the club's failures: It's not the players' fault, nor is it his - the referees are to blame. Dahan's second favorite group to pin the blame on is the press. Since the season's start, he has been in confrontations with four reporters. A reporter who writes something negative about him is immediately distanced from the club. In one instance, Dahan told a reporter, who had written that club officials might replace Dahan if a disciplinary committee decided to ban him from attending matches (following a confrontation with a referee), that he would get him fired from his newspaper. Advertisement The team's players are also often on the receiving end from Dahan. Goalie Nir Abarbanel stood in goal for the club's match against Ashdod in the Toto Cup, and after receiving praise from the goalkeepers' coach, was certain he would be included in the lineup for the team's next league match. Only when Abarbanel showed up, he saw his name wasn't on the roster. Dahan had decided to have goalkeeper Robert Budgie, from Gambia, start in his place. Abarbanel was heartbroken, and asked the team's manager to release him. Budgie, too, did not last at the club. Reporters bombarded him with questions after the club's loss to Netanya, asking him about his poor performance. Budgie, who is not used to the pressures of the Israeli press, blamed the coach. "Dudu makes mistakes all the time," he told the reporter of a local Ramat Gan newspaper. "If you want to be respected by the players, you have to give them respect. We're playing with only one striker and just kicking the ball up field." Budgie told management that he made a mistake and apologized, but Dahan would not forgive him. He was benched the following match, and recently left the club. Dahan also maintains strict control over the club's Web site. Every article posted on it has to be approved by him beforehand. Buki Naeh, a veteran journalist and avid Hakoach fan, posted an article about a recent meeting between Dahan and the team's fan club. The article claimed that Dahan had told fans that he wanted to bolster the team with new purchases, but that he was held back by management. Dahan allegedly said that the team budget was so low, they didn't have money for water and sandwiches. Naeh posted the story on the club's Web site but after a few hours it was pulled by none other than Dahan. The present Hakoach coach owes his appointment to one of the club's owners, Gal Yosef. Apparently, he is the base of support behind what seems to be the limitless credit Dahan receives from management. "You can't build high expectations from a team with a low budget and limited roster," Chairman Tziki Kakon has said. "I see how Dudu [Dahan] works with the players. Every practice is carefully thought through. They are on a European level. The only ones to blame for losses are the players." Despite the apparent camaraderie, Kakon and Dahan were also at one time not speaking to each other earlier this season. They subsequently made up. Dahan arrived at Hakoach two years ago, and was made coach despite the initial opposition by then-club chairman Itzik Pozmantir. Immediately after, Pozmantir was removed from his position as chairman. Today Pozmantir claims the situation at the club is bad, and pins much of the blame on Dahan. Nonetheless he says, "Even though I am not one of his supporters I wouldn't sack him. I don't think coaches should be sacked after less than a round. But sadly, the team seems soulless." Naturally, Hakoach coach Dudu Dahan, who is always quick to criticize but takes criticism badly, declined to be interviewed for this article. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Who's missing? Haredi parties absent from Jerusalem coalition for first time in decades. 'Kavosh 2' Amid nuclear tensions, Iran says it successfully launched rocket.

Read & React Documents reveal IDF killed wanted Palestinians against court guidelines Responses: 178 Israel asks Bush to explain its 'special relationship' with U.S. to Obama Responses: 115 Settler teens rampage through Palestinian neighborhood in Hebron Responses: 126 Aluf Benn: Obama's challenge will be to persuade Netanyahu to advance peace Responses: 57 Judea Pearl: Israel and Palestinians should apologize to each other Responses: 52 More Headlines 01:11 At least 80 people dead, hostages taken in multiple Mumbai attacks 23:55 AG seeks to indict Olmert over double-billing affair 22:07 Pines-Paz: It's a tragic day for Israel when a PM is indicted 23:44 Barak: We will evacuate settlers from Hebron house, by force if necessary 18:30 Lebanon asks Iran to supply its army with midsize weapons 23:40 UN watchdog clears Syria bid for atomic aid, despite world doubts 01:30 Who stole Hitler's golden bookmark? 17:27 Holocaust survivor to meet her Polish savior after 60 years 19:25 Haredi parties absent from Jerusalem coalition for first time in decades 18:29 Amid nuclear tensions, Iran says it successfully launched rocket 21:46 Borat's brother - a.k.a. Erran Baron Cohen - releases Hanukkah CD 18:28 Livni urges Thailand to commute Israeli drug smugglers' death sentence 18:28 Hamas, Fatah women brawl in Gaza as factional tempers flare 18:19 Short on fuel, Gazans use car batteries to restart power plant 13:31 Ban: Israel, Lebanon must 'seize the moment' and make peace 18:22 Settler rabbi: Peace Now chief should be jailed for treason Previous Editions Select Day 26 nov 25 nov 24 nov 23 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov 18 nov 17 nov 16 nov 14 nov 13 nov

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