"I am very happy to join Hapoel," Vene, who plays both small forward and power forward, said via the club's official website. 

"I like what the head coach [Aleksandar] Džikic has built here. The team is talented, has quality and is balanced. I will do my best to contribute with my experience, shooting skills and resilience. Naturally, I have heard a lot about the team's fan-base, and I can't wait for the new season, to play for them."

Head coach Džikic said: "We believe that Siim complements us ideally."

"He is a classic forward, very mobile and active off the ball. He is able to contribute by small details, but does not chase statistical indicators," he went on.

Vene has played for Fuenlabrada (Spain), Limoges (France) and Varese (Italy) in the past couple of seasons.

Vene's contract is for two years, with the option of a one-year extension, ERR's Sports portal reports.

The new Champions League season proper starts in early October.

Hapoel Jerusalem is part of the Hapoel sporting movement which originated in the 1920s as part of the Histadrut Labor Federation's trade union activities. The club has football and swimming teams in addition to the basketball team.

The latter has won several titles, including the ULEB Cup (now called EuroCup) in 2004, the Israeli Basketball Premier League championship in 2015 and 2017, and six state Cups.

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