Hapoel Be'er Sheva Coach Criticizes Team's Poor Toto Cup Performance Ahead of European Matches

Hapoel Be'er Sheva suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Hapoel Haifa in the Toto Cup match for fifth place on Saturday, prompting strong criticism from coach Ran Kozuch. He rejected excuses related to a second-string lineup or fatigue from travel, emphasizing the need for professionalism and competitiveness in every competition. Kozuch pointed out that several players in the lineup, such as Matan Baltaxa, Jibril Diop, and Ofir Davidzada, had ample first-team experience, and the team should have performed much better.

At the post-match press conference at Sammy Ofer Stadium, Kozuch stated his intention to strengthen the squad by adding three new players, including increasing the number of foreign players to eight, and specifically seeking a foreign defender and midfielder, along with an Israeli reinforcement. A club official stressed the urgency of adapting quickly to competing on two fronts, warning, "Woe to us if we return from European matches looking like this." Despite fielding a second-string team, the club believes the bench has sufficient quality to avoid such poor performances.

Be'er Sheva will now prepare for their upcoming Europa Conference League match against Sabah, which they will host at Rapid Bucuresti's stadium on Wednesday. Kozuch described Sabah as a strong, fast team that presses high and will pose a greater challenge than Red Star Belgrade, their previous European opponent.