Hapoel Be'er Sheva Confident New Signing Younes Melida Will Exceed Expectations

Hapoel Be'er Sheva has completed the signing of striker Younes Melida from Maccabi Tel Aviv for 100,000 euros on a three-year contract. Melida, who struggled to develop over more than two years at Maccabi Tel Aviv after returning from Belgium, is expected to make his debut for Be'er Sheva this week. Coach Ran Kozuch expressed strong confidence in Melida's potential, stating he can extract much more from the player than his previous club did. Kozuch values Melida as an additional Israeli attacking option with European experience and high-level training.

The club believes this is a good deal and insists Melida has not lost his football skills, recalling his significant potential when sold from Maccabi Netanya. A club source said, "Ran Kozuch knows exactly who he is dealing with and will get a lot more out of Younes, who will contribute significantly to Hapoel Be'er Sheva going forward."

Meanwhile, the team flew this Monday to Bucharest ahead of their home match against Sabah in the UEFA Champions League playoff round, which will be held at Rapid Bucharest's stadium. This follows previous home matches played in Hungary's Szombathely. Around 1,000 fans are expected to attend to support the team as they aim to secure a historic first-ever qualification to the Champions League group stage in the return leg in Azerbaijan.