Hapoel Be'er Sheva Races to Sign Two Foreign Players Ahead of Champions League Playoff

Hapoel Be'er Sheva, the reigning Israeli champions, are accelerating their efforts to strengthen their squad by signing two foreign players before their upcoming UEFA Champions League playoff matches against Azerbaijan's Sabah FK. The club aims to register the new signings in time for these critical games, which could mark a historic achievement for the team.

Since the departure of Or Blorian, Be'er Sheva has been searching for a suitable replacement, focusing primarily on acquiring a foreign central defender. Alongside this, the club is also looking for an attacking midfielder to fill the void left by Kings Kangwa, who recently left the team. This recruitment drive is challenging due to the limited availability of quality players in the Israeli market.

Currently, Be'er Sheva's squad includes six foreign players: Jibril Diop, Pedro Amador, Lucas Ventura, Joao Victor, Javon East, and Igor Zlatanovic. The team has room to add two more foreign players, allowing them to bring in both a defender and an attacking midfielder. Coach Ran Kozuch is expected to manage the foreign player quota effectively, as some foreign players are unlikely to be fielded simultaneously in league matches.

Be'er Sheva is preparing for a demanding season competing in two tournaments after securing a spot in the UEFA Europa League group stage. However, their primary goal remains to make history by advancing to the Champions League group stage for the first time.

Summary: Hapoel Be'er Sheva is urgently seeking to sign two foreign players, a defender and an attacking midfielder, before their Champions League playoff against Sabah FK to register them for the matches and aim for a historic group stage qualification.

Points: - Hapoel Be'er Sheva aims to sign two foreign players before Champions League playoff against Sabah FK. - The club seeks a foreign central defender and an attacking midfielder to replace recent departures. - Current squad has six foreign players with room for two more signings. - Coach Ran Kozuch plans to manage foreign player usage strategically. - Be'er Sheva secured Europa League group stage but targets historic Champions League qualification.

Topic: sports israel_relevant: true entities: {"people": ["Or Blorian", "Kings Kangwa", "Ran Kozuch"], "organizations": ["Hapoel Be'er Sheva", "Sabah FK", "UEFA Champions League", "UEFA Europa League"], "places": ["Israel", "Azerbaijan"]}