Tomas Satoransky has reflected on his departure from Barcelona, admitting he felt it was time to move on before signing with Hapoel Tel Aviv this summer.
After spending four seasons with the Spanish club, the veteran guard said he was looking for a different role and believes he has found it alongside Vasilije Micic at Hapoel.
“Without a doubt, this will be my role; I am not the starting point guard, that is Vasilije Micic. I think I will be the second or third point guard, which is something I was looking for in the EuroLeague. At Barça, they also promised me that I wouldn’t play as much in the Liga Endesa, but since we didn’t sign anyone, that wasn’t the case.”
Speaking to Czech outlet Seznam Zpravy, Satoransky revealed that the departure of head coach Xavi Pascual convinced him his own future at Barcelona was nearing its end.
“When coach Xavi Pascual, for me one of the best coaches in Europe, decided not to continue, I had a feeling it wouldn’t go well; it was the only link that would have kept me. I wanted a change of scenery; the last two years had not gone well for us due to political and economic reasons, we weren’t signing entirely suitable players.”
The Czech international also spoke about the physical toll of his final seasons with the club, explaining that recurring back issues made it increasingly difficult to cope with the demanding schedule.
“I had a lot of back problems, I had pushed myself too far. When, at the end of the final, the coach substituted me and Jan Vesely, it was difficult to say goodbye from the bench,” he said. “There was a period when I played 30 minutes per game in the EuroLeague, the body was completely wrecked and by the second or third day, we were already playing the league.”
Satoransky was especially critical of Barcelona’s management, claiming the basketball section had become secondary to the football department and that winning was no longer treated as a priority.
“Barça was a huge disappointment due to the attitude that the football directors adopted towards basketball. In recent years, they have put obstacles in our way, and it was clear that winning in basketball was not very important to them. And it’s difficult to fight against that.
“It is true that we did not play at our best level, but, on the other hand, we signed seven players over the age of 34; I think it’s quite admirable that we lasted until the final against Valencia, where we had no chance. Now, at Hapoel, we have a visionary owner and, without a doubt, we want to win the EuroLeague.”
Tomas Satoransky openly about leaving Barcelona: “It was a great disappointment” https://t.co/rReD3tWE4g
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) August 4, 2026
