Warning Shot: Maccabi Tel Aviv Lost to Villeurbanne in Round 1 of the Euroleague
Maccabi Tel Aviv opened the 2026/27 Euroleague season this evening (Thursday), hosting Villeurbanne at the LDLC Arena in Lyon in the first round of the competition. Maccabi enters the new season after significantly strengthening over…
Assessment
Maccabi Tel Aviv's season opener loss to a team that finished last in the Euroleague last season is a warning sign, not a crisis. The team invested heavily in the summer, bringing back Bonzie Colson and adding Yam Madar, and won the Super Cup against Hapoel Tel Aviv. But Villers-Bonne now has Tony Parker as coach, and the French team showed they are not the same pushover. The next few games will reveal whether this is an adjustment period or a deeper problem.