Ligat Ha'al's opening round will not look the way the fixture list originally promised. Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Beersheba, Israel's two most in-form clubs on the European stage this month, have both had their round-one league matches pushed back to give them a clear run at decisive continental play-off ties.
Beersheba's rearranged fixture comes off the back of one of the club's finest nights in Europe. The Negev side beat Red Star Belgrade 2-0 in Belgrade on Tuesday to complete a 3-0 aggregate win, sending them into the Champions League play-off round against Azerbaijani champions Sabah Baku. Whatever happens there, Beersheba have already guaranteed themselves a place in at least the Europa League league phase, along with a UEFA prize pot ONE and other Israeli outlets have reported at close to €9 million.
Hapoel Tel Aviv's route has run through the Conference League, where the Bloomfield Stadium club eliminated Bulgarian side Ludogorets 4-2 on aggregate to reach the third qualifying round. Beitar Jerusalem advanced in the same round of the same competition, meaning the two Jerusalem-Tel Aviv rivals whose league opener has now been postponed are still on parallel paths through Europe.
According to ONE's report, both clubs invoked a standing provision that lets teams engaged in European play-offs defer their opening domestic fixture rather than being squeezed between two continental legs. The clause has been available to Israeli clubs in this position for several seasons.
Beersheba's rescheduled match against Hapoel Haifa will now be played on September 2 at 8:00 p.m., ONE reported, while Hapoel Tel Aviv's derby-tinged opener against Beitar Jerusalem — originally pencilled in as one of round one's marquee ties — has been moved to September 3 at 8:30 p.m.
Not every European-bound club chose to delay. Maccabi Tel Aviv, who are also competing in continental qualifying this month, opted against postponing and will open their league campaign against Hapoel Jerusalem on August 23 as originally scheduled, ONE noted.
The Israel Football Association's league management added that fixtures for the following rounds will be published only a few days after UEFA's group-stage draws are made, with the second-round schedule in particular expected to wait until Beitar Jerusalem complete their own third-round Conference League qualifier.
The reshuffling underlines how much is riding on the next fortnight for Israeli football's European representatives. Beersheba's tie with Sabah Baku is the last hurdle before the revamped 36-team Champions League league phase, a stage no Israeli club has ever reached, while Hapoel Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem both still have a route open to the Conference League's own league phase.
For now, domestic business waits. Ligat Ha'al's opening weekend will go ahead without two of its headline fixtures, with clubs and supporters alike watching the European draws before the rest of the early-season calendar is confirmed.
