Hapoel Be'er Sheva Poised to Earn Record €18.9 Million Ahead of Champions League Playoff

Hapoel Be'er Sheva is one win away from reaching the UEFA Champions League group stage, with a lucrative financial reward at stake. After securing a 2-1 victory in the first leg against Sabah FK, Be'er Sheva will host the return leg on Tuesday, aiming to advance and claim the highest payout ever received by an Israeli club.

The club has already secured €8.6 million from reaching the Europa League playoff round, which guarantees participation in the Europa League group stage. This amount is split into two payments: €4.29 million for the playoff and €4.31 million for the group stage. Should Be'er Sheva progress to the Champions League group stage, they will receive an additional €18.62 million, including a primary payment of €17.87 million and a secondary payment of €750,000, totaling approximately 64 million shekels.

Including a bonus of €275,000 based on their UEFA coefficient ranking, Be'er Sheva’s total earnings could reach €18.89 million, surpassing Maccabi Haifa’s €15.64 million haul in the 2022/23 season. The club’s entire squad is valued at €18.05 million, nearly doubling their market value with these potential earnings.

Be'er Sheva has until September 2 to finalize player registrations for European competition. Currently, the team has six foreign players signed, with plans to strengthen the squad by adding a foreign center-back and an attacking midfielder to replace Kings Kangwa. The club is also considering Israeli players as the transfer window closes.

Additional UEFA bonuses include €2.1 million for each win and €700,000 for each draw in the group stage. Advancing to the knockout rounds would yield a further €1 million, with reaching the round of 16, the best achievement by an Israeli club, bringing in €11 million. Coach Ran Kozuch confirmed ongoing negotiations to sign new players before the registration deadline.

In summary, Be'er Sheva has guaranteed €8.6 million and stands to earn an extra €10.72 million by advancing to the Champions League, marking the largest financial reward ever for an Israeli football club under UEFA’s updated 2024 prize structure.