Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., December 04, 2008 Kislev 7, 5769 | | Israel Time: 01:34 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate GA 2008 Travel Week's End Anglo File

It's either him or them By Moshe Boker After Monday night's goalless draw with Bnei Sakhnin, Reuven Atar did everything in his power to avoid the post-game press conference, yet he was forced to show up. "There will be changes in the lineup," the Beitar Jerusalem coach announced. "You do the speculation, and leave the decisions to me." It turns out, however, that Atar's status prevents him from making all the decisions. Coach Atar spent several minutes before the conference exchanging whispers with Itzik Korenfein, the club's chairman, who asked him among other things to clarify the situation regarding the standard of his players. Advertisement The chairman informed him unequivocally that players would have to pay the price, and ordered him to bench some of them. Only after that conversation did Atar tell reporters what he planned to do before the club's next game against Maccabi Tel Aviv. It also turns out that even during the game Attar had to listen to Korenfein's dictates, including the substitution of Derek Boateng. From the 20th minute on the rest of Beitar could see what Atar could not, that officials in the club's VIP box were wondering aloud why he was keeping Boateng in the game. The chairman was seen heading for the locker room at halftime, telling Attar along the way to replace the midfielder. Boateng did not return to the field after the break. Reviewing what could be a very short stint with Beitar, given management's dissatisfaction with the coach, the decisions Atar made on his own have not exactly been for the team's better. When he arrived, he rejected the plan proposed by his predecessor, Yitzhak Shum, to improve the team in the wake of its European embarrassment this past summer. Shum wanted to release two players, bring in a foreign striker, integrate young players like Shmuel Kozokin and put Moshe Ohayon in the starting 11. "It took 11 games for him to understand what he should have realized when he arrived," said an official familiar with Shum's ideas. "What Shum planned to do and Atar ignored, he really has got to do now." Atar baffled management in late November with statements he made to the press after the team drew with Maccabi Petah Tikva 1-1 at home. While senior officials were bashing about the idea of fining players for their miserable level of play, Atar announced he had no complaints about his players and credited Petah Tikva's goalkeeper, Ohad Cohen, for having an incredible day. Beitar officials were shocked to then hear Amos Luzon, the chairman of Maccabi Petah Tikva, blast Cohen for sloppy play. "Beitar was awful today, and we didn't take advantage of that," Luzon said. They couldn't understand - particularly Korenfein, their former goalkeeper - how Atar could not only praise his players for a great game that never was but claim the opponent's goalie had an excellent game." Given the team's budget of NIS 120 million, the refusal of owner Arcadi Gaydamak to spend a shekel more, and Gaydamak's guillotine lurking over Atar, the coach's freedom of movement is limited. Beyond Boateng, three other players are expected to pay the price: Dario Fernandez, Michael Zandberg and Toto Tamuz. The club may want to get rid of Idan Tal, too, but the midfielder does not want to go anywhere, considering his $1.1 million contract that lasts through next season. Tamuz will be a tough sell - his two-year contract will cost $1.3 million to anyone who wants to buy him from Beitar. Nor does Boateng want to go. "Boateng will stay on principle," says a close friend of the Ghanian. "He doesn't like Reuven, though Reuven is afraid of him, but he'll stay until the end of the season on purpose. He has it good in Israel and has no reason to leave." Beitar is practically a victim of its previous spending binge. "There's no chance teams will take players for millions of dollars," explained one Beitar official, "and there's no chance Arcadi will approve Beitar compensating players for breach of contract. In the near future Atar will send players either to the bench or to the stands. Otherwise, he'll end up in the stands." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Light unto the nations Obama must help Israel break its territorial addiction. Blockade busters Israeli Arab leaders vow to sail to Gaza to break blockade.

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