Hapoel Tel Aviv Extends Goalkeeper Asaf Tzur's Contract Amid Toto Cup Final Run

Hapoel Tel Aviv has exercised the contract option to keep goalkeeper Asaf Tzur at the club for two more years. Tzur, who joined last summer and earned a spot in Israel's extended national team squad due to his strong performances, is highly valued by the club. This extension secures his third consecutive season with the team.

On Sunday, Hapoel Tel Aviv advanced to the Toto Cup final after a dramatic semifinal victory over Hapoel Kiryat Shmona at HaMoshava Stadium, witnessed by 7,500 fans. Coach Eliniv Breda rotated the squad extensively to rest key players ahead of Thursday's Europa League playoff match against Atalanta. Among the changes, Shanda Silva was deployed on the right wing, a position less familiar to him, where he struggled. The club continues to seek a foreign left winger before the transfer window closes in three weeks.

Positive highlights included 18-year-old Daniel Dappa, who scored twice to secure the final spot, and midfielder El-Yam Kancepolsky, who started in place of Andrian Kraiev and assisted the equalizer in the 87th minute while delivering an excellent all-around performance. The club emphasized the importance of building Dappa's confidence, hoping for his breakthrough this season.

Ticket demand for the Europa Conference League playoff match against Atalanta in Bergamo is intense, with 1,500 tickets allocated to Hapoel fans selling out in just nine minutes. The team is pleased with the squad rotation strategy and their progression to the Toto Cup final, where they will face Maccabi Tel Aviv at Bloomfield Stadium.