Beitar Jerusalem are used to travelling well in Europe, but even by their own standards the numbers heading to Romania this week are startling. Sport5 reports that roughly 4,000 Beitar supporters are expected in Ploiești for Thursday's Conference League third qualifying round first leg against Austria Wien — a scale of travelling support the club says is unmatched so far in this European campaign.
As in the previous round against AEK Larnaca, Beitar are staging their "home" leg in Romania rather than Israel, with Ploiești hosting the fixture before the tie shifts to Vienna for the return on August 13. The arrangement has become familiar to the club's fans, who have now made the trip east in growing numbers at each stage of the qualifying run.
Demand has been so heavy that Beitar have approached airlines directly to request additional flight capacity on routes to Romania, according to Sport5, as supporters scramble for seats to follow the team. Under UEFA regulations, Austria Wien's own following in Ploiești will be capped at just 750 tickets — an allocation Beitar expect to receive in return when they travel to Vienna for the second leg.
On the pitch, head coach Almog Cohen has been pressing his players to raise their level after scraping past AEK Larnaca on penalties in the previous round. Cohen, who took over in May after Barak Yitzhaki's departure, has told the squad they need to work harder and play with more composure if they are to see off an Austria Wien side with plenty of continental pedigree of its own.
Pitch conditions have also been a talking point in the build-up. After players complained the grass in Ploiești ran too fast and made the ball difficult to control during the Larnaca tie, Beitar have asked the venue's groundskeeper to trim it further, within the limits UEFA permits.
There was a squad boost of sorts with defenders Luka Gadrani and Tomer Yosephi both back in the frame, though neither is considered fully match-fit. Sport5 reports the more realistic expectation is that both will be in contention for minutes in the second leg in Vienna rather than Thursday's opener.
Midfielder Yarden Shua, who has been troubled by a virus, reported feeling better over the weekend, and the club is hopeful he has shaken it off in time to contribute to the tie.
Forward Sean Weissman, who joined Beitar this summer after several seasons in Austria most recently with Blau-Weiss Linz, has been passing on what he knows of Austria Wien and the atmosphere Beitar are likely to face when the tie returns to Vienna next week.
For a club whose away support has become one of the storylines of its European run, the numbers converging on Ploiești this week say as much about the mood around Beitar as anything happening on the training pitch.
