Hapoel Tel Aviv Advances to Conference League Playoff for First Time Since 2011
Hapoel Tel Aviv achieved a significant milestone by advancing to the playoff round of the UEFA Conference League on August 12, 2026. The team secured a 3-2 aggregate victory over Polish side Katowice, winning the first leg 2-0 in Hungary and losing the second leg 2-1 in Poland. This marks the first time in 15 years that Hapoel has progressed through two consecutive rounds in a European competition, a feat last accomplished in the 2011/12 season when they eliminated Vaduz and Akernas en route to the Europa League group stage.
Looking ahead, Hapoel Tel Aviv will face Italian club Atalanta in the next round. Should they succeed, it would be their sixth appearance in a European group stage, noting that the current stage is a league round rather than a traditional group stage. Historically, Hapoel's best European achievements include reaching the UEFA Cup quarterfinals in 2001/02 and the Champions League group stage in 2010/11.
This advancement highlights a notable resurgence for Hapoel Tel Aviv in European football after a decade and a half without such progress.
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