Israel's Soccer League Slips in UEFA Rankings Amid European Competition Woes
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Israel's top soccer league has fallen to 25th in the UEFA rankings, dropping two places since August and trailing Ukraine. The league's aspiration for two Champions League qualifying spots is fading due to recent losses and the inability to host home games. Several European leagues have gained points, widening the gap, with Hapoel Be'er Sheva being Israel's sole remaining representative facing a tough schedule.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel's soccer league dropped to 25th in UEFA rankings, losing ground to Ukraine.
- The league's goal of two Champions League qualifying spots is becoming more distant.
- Several European leagues have gained points, widening the gap with Israel.
- Israel's sole representative, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, faces a difficult upcoming schedule.
- Inability to host home games in Israel is significantly hindering European progress.
Israel's top soccer league has seen a concerning drop in the UEFA rankings, currently sitting in 25th place with 24.125 points. This position leaves Israel trailing Ukraine, which is in 23rd place, by 0.712 points. The long-held aspiration of reaching 15th place, which would grant two spots in the Champions League qualifiers, is becoming increasingly distant. This decline is attributed to recent years where Israeli teams have not been able to host matches domestically.
Several European leagues, including Cyprus (15th), Switzerland (16th), Austria (17th), Hungary (18th), Croatia (19th), Sweden (20th), and Romania (21st), have all gained points in European competitions this past week, many with multiple representatives. In contrast, Israel currently has only one representative, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, which recently lost to Union SG.
Since August, Israel has fallen two places in the rankings. This slide is partly due to the qualification of Qarabag of Azerbaijan and Shakhtar Donetsk for the Champions League, which occurred at the expense of Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Slovenia, in 26th place, has also sent a representative, Celje, to the Europa League, posing a slight threat of closing the gap.
Hapoel Be'er Sheva faces a challenging schedule ahead, including matches against Juventus, Celta Vigo, and Bournemouth. There is significant concern that the points gap will widen further by the end of the season, continuing a trend observed since October 7th. The inability of Israeli teams to play their home games in Israel is cited as a major factor hindering their progress in European competitions.
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