Beitar Jerusalem Star Yarden Shua Vows League Title After Europa Conference League Exit

Beitar Jerusalem was eliminated from the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers on Thursday after losing 4-2 in a penalty shootout to Austria Vienna, despite winning the second leg 2-1 with an impressive performance. The defeat ended their European campaign with a sense of disappointment. Following the match, team star Yarden Shua spoke to Radio Jerusalem, expressing frustration over the exit and confidence in the team's domestic prospects.

Shua stated that Beitar was dominant in both matches against Austria Vienna and criticized the Austrian side for not playing proper football. He acknowledged the team has a new roster this season and that there are higher expectations for pace and pressure. Shua also noted differences in coaching perspectives between Almog and Barak. Reflecting on the elimination, he said, "I keep replaying the missed penalty and the offside call in my head. We don't deserve to be out because we played well, but that's football."

Looking ahead, Shua emphasized the team's goal to win the Israeli league title this season, promising that Beitar Jerusalem will show more character and avoid the mistakes of last year. He said, "We will complete what was missing last season. Even when leading 1-0, we won't make the same errors. Beitar Jerusalem is a big club."

Regarding the penalty shootout, Shua explained he did not take an early penalty due to pain and requested to shoot later in the sequence. The interview highlighted the team's determination to rebound from their European disappointment and focus on domestic success.