Israeli Footballers Face Israeli Clubs in Rare European Matches Over Two Decades

Israeli football is witnessing a rare event as Hapoel Be'er Sheva faces Red Star Belgrade with Israeli player Mohammed Abu Fani on the Serbian side, marking a notable instance of an Israeli player competing against an Israeli club in international competition. Such encounters are uncommon due to the limited presence of Israeli players in international tournaments and the recent rise of Israeli clubs in European football.

Historically, there have been nine documented cases of Israeli players facing Israeli teams in competitive matches, mostly in European qualifiers and group stages. The earliest example dates back to the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup qualifiers when Eyal Berkovic, newly signed by Celtic, played against Hapoel Tel Aviv. Other notable instances include Aliniv Breda playing for Genk against Maccabi Haifa in 2011/12 Champions League qualifiers, Nir Biton with Celtic against Hapoel Be'er Sheva in 2016/17, and Amir Agayev with Omonia Nicosia facing Beitar Jerusalem the same season.

More recent examples feature Marwan Kaba with Maribor against Be'er Sheva in 2017/18, Manor Solomon with Shakhtar Donetsk against Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2020/21, and Eran Zahavi with PSV Eindhoven facing Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2021/22, where Zahavi experienced an emotional moment as the Maccabi fans sang his anthem during warm-up. In the current 2023/24 season, Omri Gandelman of Gent uniquely faced both Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa in the Conference League, starting all four matches. The latest case occurred in 2026/27 when Yehav Gurfinkel of AEK Larnaca played against Beitar Jerusalem in Conference League qualifiers.

These encounters highlight the growing integration of Israeli players in European football and the increasing competitiveness of Israeli clubs on the continental stage. The upcoming match featuring Abu Fani continues this trend, offering fans a rare spectacle of domestic rivalry played out on an international platform.