Maccabi Tel Aviv learned on Wednesday that its Europa League second qualifying-round opponent will be the winner of Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova against Aluminij of Slovenia. Of the possible draws, this was considered the most favorable for the Israeli club, which avoided a potential matchup with Dynamo Kyiv or Hajduk Split.
Sheriff finished second in Moldova last season and has had Israeli players on its roster, including Kais Ghanem and Liam Harush. The club once had stronger European runs and more ambitious squads, but in recent years it has mostly lost in UEFA competitions and has also lost the domestic dominance it once held.
Aluminij finished seventh in Slovenia last season after being promoted from the second division. It reached Europa League qualifying by winning a surprise cup title, the first major trophy in its history, although it had won two local regional cups in the 1960s.
Maccabi Tel Aviv reached the Europa League league phase in the past two seasons, and will try to do so again in 2026/27. In both of those campaigns it dropped out of Champions League qualifying, but this time it enters UEFA's secondary competition as cup holder. If it is eliminated from Europa League qualifying, it will not be done in Europe, because it would drop into the next round of Conference League qualifying. The first leg of the second qualifying round is set for July 23, with the return leg on July 30. The draw for the third qualifying round is on July 20, with matches on August 6 and 13. The playoff draw is on August 3, with matches on August 20 and 27. The league-phase draw is on August 28, and the league phase runs from September 16 to January 28, 2027, over eight rounds.
