Hapoel Be'er Sheva Drops From Champions League, Awaits Tough Europa League Draw

Hapoel Be'er Sheva was eliminated from the UEFA Champions League qualifiers after a dramatic 5-2 loss in extra time to Sabah FK in Baku, resulting in a 6-4 aggregate defeat. The decisive goal came in the 94th minute, sending the match into extra time where the Azerbaijani side secured their victory. Following this setback, Be'er Sheva will continue their European campaign in the Europa League group stage, likely seeded in the fourth and lowest pot due to their ranking.

The Europa League group stage draw is scheduled for Friday at 14:00 Israel time, where Be'er Sheva could face strong European teams such as Juventus, AC Milan, Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, or Celta Vigo. Currently, 20 teams have already qualified for the group stage, with 16 more to join after the completion of the qualifying rounds.

Despite missing out on the Champions League, the club faces a challenging season ahead with extensive travel demands, including approximately 16 flights, as international matches have yet to return to Israel. This travel burden may impact the team's performance in domestic competitions. Fans and club officials, including coach Ran Kozuch and owner Alona Barkat, remain engaged as the team prepares for the upcoming Europa League fixtures.