Beitar Jerusalem's Yarden Shoa Vows Championship After Europa Conference League Exit

Beitar Jerusalem was eliminated from the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers by Austria Vienna on August 13, 2026, after losing 4-2 in a penalty shootout despite winning the second leg 2-1. The defeat ended their European campaign with a sense of disappointment. Team star Yarden Shoa spoke to Radio Jerusalem following the exit, expressing frustration that the team did not deserve to be knocked out given their strong performances in both matches. He criticized Austria Vienna for not playing proper football and noted that this season demands higher tempo and pressure from Beitar.

Shoa reflected on the team's mistakes and bad luck, saying, "I keep replaying the missed chances and offsides in my head. We played well and did not deserve to go out, but that's football." He emphasized the club's goal for the season is to win the Israeli Premier League championship, stating, "We will complete what was missing last year. Beitar Jerusalem will have much more character this season and will avoid the mistakes we made previously." Regarding the penalty shootout, Shoa revealed he delayed taking his penalty due to pain, saying, "I asked to shoot as late as possible because I was feeling pain."