Hapoel Be'er Sheva Faces European Test Without Fans
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Hapoel Be'er Sheva will play AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Thursday without their fans due to a security ban, despite club and national efforts to reverse the decision. Manager Ran Kochav will rotate his squad, with several players potentially starting after being rested in the domestic league. The team aims to secure points in Europe while maintaining their league title challenge, though concerns remain about squad depth at right-back. The club fears the fan ban could set a precedent for future matches.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Be'er Sheva will play AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League without fan attendance.
- The club's efforts, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, failed to overturn the fan ban.
- Manager Ran Kochav plans significant squad rotation for the match.
- The team is concerned about overusing right-back Guy Mizrahi due to lack of depth.
- Be'er Sheva seeks to balance European success with their domestic league title bid.
Hapoel Be'er Sheva will play their second Europa League match tonight (Thursday, 19:45) against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, but will do so without their supporters in attendance. Following a draw against Dinamo Zagreb in their previous European fixture, the Israeli champions aim to secure at least a point in the Netherlands. Manager Ran Kochav plans to rotate his squad, with four players who did not start their last domestic league game potentially featuring in the starting lineup. Left-back Pedro Amador is sidelined with a hamstring issue, and Matan Baltaxa is expected to replace him.
This match serves as another test for Kochav, who is looking to prove his squad's depth and quality in balancing European competition with their domestic league title aspirations. The team has been showing improved cohesion, with recent strong performances from Joao Victor and Amankwaa Forson, who have contributed goals and assists. The only position lacking a natural backup is right-back, where Guy Mizrahi might be overused, raising concerns about potential injury.
A player from the team commented on the competitive atmosphere, stating, "What keeps the players tense is that one game you might not dress, and another game you can be in the lineup. Everyone must be ready and alert before every game. We've entered a crazy and busy period, but this is what we fought for all summer. No one is complaining, and we want to meet all our goals."
Be'er Sheva is disappointed that their fans will not be permitted to attend the match, despite efforts by the club, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the league management, and the Football Association to overturn the local security forces' ban. It is estimated that dozens of fans who had already booked hotels will still travel to the Netherlands and attempt to enter the stadium. The club fears this decision could set a dangerous precedent for future European games.
The expected lineup includes Ofir Marciano in goal, a defense of Guy Mizrahi, Itay Rotman, Djibril Diop, and Matan Baltaxa, a midfield of Lucas Ventura, Niv Yehoshua, and Eliel Peretz, and forwards Amir Ganach, Zahi Ahmed, and Igor Zlatanovic or Adrian Ugrysa.
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