Hapoel Be'er Sheva's Champions League campaign gets under way in Reykjavik on Tuesday night, and by the time the Israeli champions reach Víkingsvöllur they will already have logged more air miles than anyone else in this round of qualifying. According to ONE, the club's journey to Iceland totals 5,315 kilometres — the longest trip of any team playing in the second qualifying round this evening.
The first leg against Víkingur Reykjavík kicks off at 22:00 Israel time, with Beer Sheva facing the Icelandic champions on their artificial pitch in a city where midsummer conditions are about as far removed from a Negev summer as European football gets.
It is not simply a case of an away trip taking its toll. ONE notes that Beer Sheva, like several other Israeli clubs, still cannot host UEFA fixtures on home soil while European football's governing body withholds approval to stage matches in Israel over the security situation. Maccabi Tel Aviv, Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv all face the same arrangement, meaning even a nominal 'home' leg for Beer Sheva later this summer would likely be staged on neutral ground abroad rather than at Turner Stadium.
Coach Ran Kozuk has already flagged the cumulative toll of all this before a ball has been kicked, according to the report, pointing to the unfamiliar weather, the synthetic surface and the travel itself as factors his squad must absorb on top of the football.
Víkingur are no soft touch for a team carrying that kind of fatigue. The Reykjavik side eliminated Hungarian champions Győr in the previous qualifying round to reach this stage, and they arrive at this tie unbeaten and dominant domestically — leading the Icelandic top flight by eight points after 14 rounds this season, having lost none of their league matches.
For Beer Sheva, reigning Israeli champions, the reward for navigating both the travel and the opposition is a step closer to the group phase of Europe's premier club competition — and the financial windfall that comes with it. The return leg is scheduled for next week, with Beer Sheva hoping home advantage of a sort can help erase whatever the long flight to Iceland costs them on Tuesday.
