Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem's women will step onto a European pitch for the first time in the club's history on Wednesday, opening the UEFA Women's Champions League's first qualifying round against Greek champions PAOK Salonika in Veria.
Kickoff at the Veria Municipal Stadium is set for 18:30 Israel time, with the winner advancing to a second qualifying-round meeting with Hungary's Ferencváros — the format is a compact mini-tournament, with the losing side dropping into a third-place playoff rather than being eliminated outright.
The occasion caps a rapid rise for a club that only fielded a senior women's team from the 2020-21 season, when it started out in Israel's third tier. Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem won their first Israeli women's league title in the 2025-26 campaign, edging out perennial rivals Kiryat Gat, which is what earned the European ticket in the first place.
Head coach Tzach Shamroni described a squad buzzing with anticipation before the trip. "There is great excitement for the historic debut of the team in Europe. We worked very hard last season to reach this position," he said, according to Sport5 — adding that the target for Wednesday is simple: "The goal is clear — victory."
Jerusalem reinforced over the close season with an eye on exactly this kind of test, bringing in Costa Rican goalkeeper Daniela Solera and Brazilian forward Raiza alongside homegrown additions Ella Ben-Tzvi and Tal Feingzicht, Sport5 reports.
PAOK arrive as one of Greece's leading women's sides and will start favourites on paper, but Sport5 notes organisers are expecting a travelling contingent of Israeli supporters in Veria for what the club is treating as a landmark occasion regardless of Wednesday's result.
A win would send Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem into Saturday's mini-tournament final against Ferencváros with a real shot at reaching the second qualifying round of a major European competition in the club's very first attempt — a first for Israeli women's club football.
