Israeli Football Shows Signs of Recovery in UEFA Rankings After Two-Year Decline
After two challenging years that saw Israeli football drop to 25th place in the UEFA rankings, recent results have sparked hope for improvement. On the latest Thursday, Israeli clubs secured three wins in the early qualifying rounds, earning 0.750 points and the potential for four teams to advance further in European competitions. This marks a significant improvement compared to the past two seasons, where Israel accumulated only 2.875 points each season.
Israel began the current season ranked 25th, its lowest position in seven years, reminiscent of times when Israeli champions started the Champions League qualifiers in the first round. However, victories by Maccabi Tel Aviv, Beitar Jerusalem, and Hapoel Tel Aviv have raised Israel's total to 21.5 points, distancing it from Azerbaijan, which sits 26th with 20.437 points. Despite this progress, Israel remains behind Slovenia, which holds the 24th spot.
The improved performance in the early stages of European tournaments offers a positive outlook for Israeli football's standing in UEFA competitions, suggesting a potential reversal of the recent downward trend.
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