Yanay Sparks EuroLeague Controversy: Provokes Spaniard with Scarf in Madrid /VIDEO/

For much of the regular season, Hapoel appeared to be one of EuroLeague's top teams, but their performance has since faltered. The playoff game in Madrid only reinforced the notion that the team likely lacks championship pedigree. Real Madrid led throughout the first playoff match, deservedly defeating Hapoel 86-82 and taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

Ofer Yanay, owner of Hapoel Tel Aviv, drew significant attention in Madrid when he appeared in the arena wearing a Valencia scarf. This surprised everyone present and was widely interpreted as a direct provocation.

The background to this gesture lies in Yanay's ongoing feud with Valencia's coach, Pedro Martinez, which has played out on social media platform "X." The animosity began after a game between the two teams in Spain was played behind closed doors due to security concerns.

Following a series of mutual taunts, Yanay decided to bring a Valencia scarf to Madrid, doing so shortly after the Spanish team's loss to Panathinaikos in the first playoff game, where the Greek side secured a road win.

It's worth noting that Yanay recently visited Belgrade, where he wore a scarf featuring the likeness of Duško Vujošević during a game against Žalgiris, paying tribute to the late legend of Serbian and European basketball.