Atalanta's Upcoming Opponent Hapoel Tel Aviv Has Israeli Connection from Past Match

Hapoel Tel Aviv learned on August 3, 2026, that if they defeat Katowice and advance to the Conference League playoffs, they will face Atalanta, one of the strongest teams in the tournament. Atalanta, based in Bergamo, Italy, has been a top contender in Italian football for years and recently appointed Maurizio Sarri as their new head coach. Sarri plans to implement his well-known tactical approach aligned with the club's philosophy, possibly involving significant player rotation.

The match against Hapoel Tel Aviv in Bergamo would be Atalanta's first official game of the season. Between the two playoff legs, Atalanta will play Serie A matches against Sassuolo and Bologna. Atalanta lost their first preseason game 2-1 to Feyenoord.

This will not be Atalanta's first encounter with an Israeli team. In 2021, they played a friendly against Bnei Reineh, a newly promoted club from Liga Alef North to the National League. During that match, Israeli player Salim Amash scored, and veteran Josip Iličić started for Atalanta. Bnei Reineh held a training camp in Italy, culminating in the friendly, which ended amicably.

Atalanta's ultras group is not politically affiliated and maintains friendly relations with the ultras of Frankfurt and Trento. The upcoming playoff tie presents a significant challenge and opportunity for Hapoel Tel Aviv in European competition.