Hapoel Tel Aviv Opens EuroLeague Season with Historic All-Turkish Officiating Crew
Hapoel Tel Aviv is set to begin its second EuroLeague season on Thursday evening, facing Bayern Munich in Sofia. The Israeli club enters the 2026-27 campaign with significant expectations following a strong performance last season, where they finished sixth in the regular season before losing in the playoffs to Real Madrid.
This opening game will mark a historic first for the EuroLeague, as two Turkish referees, Emin Mogulkoç and Hüseyin Çelik, have been assigned to officiate the match. Mogulkoç will serve as the main referee, with Çelik as one of his assistants, alongside Portugal's Sérgio Silva. This is the first time two referees from Turkey will officiate a game together in Europe's premier basketball competition.
Hapoel Tel Aviv's previous EuroLeague opener in the 2025-26 season saw them defeat Barcelona 103-87. In their recent matchups against Bayern Munich, Hapoel won 82-72 on the road in December but lost at home 79-64. The two teams also met in the preseason, with Hapoel securing a 85-77 victory, which was Bayern's only loss during their preparation games.
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